Shirley McMarlin stories, Page 56

Greensburg Garden Center will hold its popular butterfly release on Aug. 8. This year’s event will include two separate release sessions, to accommodate social distancing concerns. Release times will be 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. in the Lefevre Butterfly Garden behind the center’s headquarters at 951 Old Salem Road. A...

Although many public Fourth of July celebrations have been canceled because of crowd size restrictions, fireworks will light up the skies in various places around Western Pennsylvania. The area’s largest show, over Point State Park in Pittsburgh, is off for this year, but here are some alternatives: Beaver County Beaver...

Neon Swing X-perience will play live for the first time in four months on Friday at Bella Terra Vineyards near Hunker. Music is planned for 6-9 p.m. at the winery, 121 Sunny Lane. “This may be one of only a few, if not the only, public live performance we will...

Reservations are available for Latrobe Art Center’s annual farm-to-table dinner at Jamison Farm in Unity. Dinner is planned for 5-8 p.m. July 26. The bring-your-own-bottle event will feature dishes of lamb raised on the farm, along with appetizers and dessert. The Jamison’s picturesque 210-acre farm produces some 3,000 lambs annually,...

Members of the Greensburg and Latrobe art centers are invited to submit works for the second annual “Art Neighbors” exhibition, opening Aug. 15 at Greensburg Art Center. Artists can reserve space for their work by submitting the entry form and $25 entry fee by Aug. 1 on the center’s website....

Quantum Theatre will host four evenings of live online programming, featuring seven Pittsburgh-area actor couples who cohabit in real life. The text will come from Caryl Churchill’s “Love and Information,” a collection of 57 micro-plays, featuring more than 100 characters “exploring the breadth of human experience and our shared hunger...

Children are invited to learn about composer Ludwig van Beethoven during online story times presented by the Westmoreland Library Network, featuring musicians from the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra. “Beethoven Lives Upstairs,” by Barbara Nichol, will be read during sessions at 11 a.m. Wednesday and Friday, and on July 13 and Aug....

The Reel Q film festival, presented in conjunction with Pride Month in Pittsburgh, is moving online this year. Teaming up with other local organizations, Reel Q will offer films and virtual events from June 18 to the end of July, beginning at 7 p.m. Thursday with a screening of “Pier...

The first-ever Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival Live Online will feature noted jazz musicians from around the world, including Sean Jones, Dianne Reeves, The Bad Plus, Laurin Talese, Jeff Watts, Brett Williams, Lakecia Benjamin and others. The one-time-only virtual event, curated by the August Wilson African American Cultural Center in collaboration...

Kenny Chesney will be back in the ‘Burgh on June 12, 2021. Earlier this year, the country superstar canceled his entire Chillaxification tour, which included a May 30 date at Heinz Field. The revived tour has 18 dates and will include same lineup of special guests, including Florida Georgia Line,...

Allegheny County Parks will host a series of science exploration programs for kids 10 and older in North Park. The organization also is offering summer yoga classes and ongoing, individualized bike-riding instruction. The Outside the Box Labs include: • Rockets and Gravity, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Saturday. Participants will design, build...

Ball gowns are hanging in closets across the country, unworn due to the pandemic-related shutdown of schools and cancellation of much-anticipated spring proms. For many young women, a lot of time and expense goes into choosing the perfect dress for prom. Not being able to wear it can be both...

The 21st annual Five Star Trail Poker Run is adopting a “do-it-yourself” format this year. Participants can choose to bicycle, walk or jog the trail stretching from Greensburg to Youngwood during sessions on July 18, Aug. 15 or Sept. 19 — or on more than one date. There will be...

Fort Ligonier will resume welcoming visitors today. For the time being, the historic site will be open 10:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Friday through Sundays, with plans to expand hours of operation at a later date. Future programming includes: • Sunset tour, 7-9 p.m. June 26 — Guests 21 and older will...

Compass Inn Museum will reopen June 20 with a new, self-guided audio tour meant to mitigate potential covid-19 related risks. Upon admission, guests at the Laughlintown historical site will be encouraged to follow the tour’s route through the historic 18th- and 19th-century stagecoach stop. To begin, hours will be 11...

Wednesday night dinner prep will be a cinch with a stop at the Lincoln Highway SupperMarket. The popular open-air food festival returns June 17 to the grounds of the Lincoln Highway Experience, Route 30 East, Unity. SupperMarket will be held 5-8 p.m. Wednesdays through Sept. 9, weather permitting. Celebrating its...

The popular ParentWISE Ice Cream Blast has been canceled. The 25th annual fundraiser was scheduled for July 18 at Kirk S. Nevin Arena at Lynch Field in Greensburg. “In the interest of keeping our friends, families and guests safe, we felt strongly that we could not host an event that...

The Allies band will take the virtual stage at 2 p.m. Sunday for a concert sponsored by the Mon Valley Academy for the Arts and its Power of Music affiliate. The music can be heard on MVAA’s Facebook page. An MVAA board member also will host a Facebook watch party,...

Pittsburgh-area shoppers will have more options on Thursday, when Nordstrom Ross Park Mall and Nordstrom Rack Northway Collection reopen to customers. “We’re taking a phased, market-by-market approach to reopening our stores. The health and well-being of our employees, customers and communities is our priority,” Nordstrom says. Nationwide, the chain is...

Hundreds of students were disappointed when spring high school musicals were canceled due to the covid-19 pandemic, but a few of them have been able to share their songs over the airwaves, thanks to the “Bubba Show” on 100.7 Star. Since May 20, one young performer has been featured each...

With its annual Hat Luncheon on hold due to the covid-19 pandemic, the Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra is inviting supporters to share their favorite fancy headgear via Hats at Home. “Since we cannot be together in person this year, we invite you to join in the #wsohats fun online,” the symphony...