PRIDE and ART and SUNSHINE!

Today, we went to downtown Pittsburgh to the Three Rivers Arts Festival , which bumps right against the epicenter of Pittsburgh Pride! The parade is tomorrow, and tonight is Melissa Etheridge right whomp in the middle of Liberty Avenue, so there wasn't a lot going on just yet.The last day of the Arts Festival is tomorrow, though, so if you're in the 'Burgh and haven't gone, gitcher ass dahntahn.

Here is Liberty Avenue:

There were lots of people on either side of this scene, but I managed to grab a moment of calm. Martie is looking up at some of the great architecture in town.

Here's something we don't see a whole lot of in Pittsburgh: a very bright sunny day. My camera was overwhelmed even with the settings adjusted. The tree behind Martie is seriously cool, the flowers are little sculptures, not natural flowers.

 We retreated to some lovely shade. That huge eyeball sculpture has a bench on the other side of it.

 Whew, nice to be off her feet! There's a fountain behind her....

 ...which was lovely and cool and we even caught a nice breeze.

 I sat on the pavement to get this shot, and hunkered down, which drew a few interested looks--but in the middle of the Arts Festival and Pride, I think I blended in just fine.

We weren't allowed to take pictures of any of the "serious" art, dammit, but here is the crowd. Martie doesn't mind a crowd at all, but I sure do.  I think this is the most crowded I have ever seen downtown Pittsburgh. Have I mentioned that I don't like crowds? Because I don't.

 I insisted on taking refuge behind a nice substantial pillar, which also offered a bit of shade. Lots of Artist Market booths all around us.

Some more crazy bright sunshine, and my otherwise reliable auto-focus couldn't deal with it. Plenty of food booths to the right, people picnicking to the left, and one of the 'Burgh's famous bridges in the distance.

We left not too long after this shot, but a little earlier we saw a performance by the Squonk Opera, which has to be experienced to be believed, and the Juried Visual Arts Exhibit. The JVAE made me spitting furious at how stunningly and pointlessly *B*A*D* so many of the entries were. The award winners almost made me flail, they were just awful. One of the award winners was basically a lame prop comic pun that even Carrot Top would have rejected. I'm not kidding. WORST JVAE in my memory. I'm dismayed that I couldn't get pics to prove it.

On a happier note, Martie's happy summer jumpsuit (it's pants, not a dress) made by Charlie Riley. :D