Pittsburg, PA
1,600 high schoolers come to Point Park for national dance festival
High school dancers from around the world are leaping into Pittsburgh this weekend for the National High School Dance Festival at Point Park University. It’s the largest festival of its kind around the world.
The students come to Downtown Pittsburgh from 100 high school dance programs all around the U.S., as far away as Hawaii, and even some from Canada and Australia.
While Point Park University dancers are on spring break, the studios are filled with high school students. Dancers from Jefferson High School in Portland, Oregon, were rehearsing a piece choreographed by junior Piper Bott, who says the choreography process was challenging.
“Now that it’s done, I’m just so happy. I feel like it’s been so rewarding. It’s like my baby, and I hope that people like it as much as I do,” Bott said.
These dancers will not only perform Bott’s piece but take dance classes from renowned teachers and sit in on seminars through the weekend.
This year, there are 1,600 dancers, up from 1,300 when Point Park hosted two years ago, with 2,100 people total at the festival.
“In the past, we’ve had many participants that wanted to come to the festival, and we had wait lists. So we wanted to give those who constantly wanted to come but have not had the opportunity,” said Garfield Lemonius, the dean of Point Park University’s School of Dance.
One reason they’re able to expand the festival is they’ve gone from the Byham Theater to the Benedum Center, the largest theater in Pittsburgh with 2,800 seats There will be performances on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with additional dance concerts at the new Pittsburgh Playhouse on Point Park’s campus.
“The restaurants and eateries, they can walk there and they can walk to their classes in between even if they’re in different buildings. It’s really convenient. So it’s a win-win for everybody,” said National High School Dance Festival founder Kathryn Kearns.
Kearns says more than 650 of these high school students will also audition for scholarships from more than 70 of the most prestigious dance universities and schools in the country, including Point Park.
One of the dancers from Jefferson High School in Portland two years ago auditioned and is now a student at Point Park. She says the festival sold her on the school.
“I got accepted to Point Park, and I got to see the studios and see performances from the students here, and I kind of fell in love with it and the environment that was here,” Sophie Glass said.
“If they come to Point Park and experience the space, experience the city, then they can see themselves coming here,” Lemonius said.
Having so many dance universities and programs in one place is also helpful for the high school students so they don’t have to travel all over to audition.
Just a month ago, Point Park transitioned from a dance department to its own School of Dance, one of the top ten programs in the country.
Pittsburg, PA
Here are all the free movies you can watch outside this summer in Pittsburgh
Yet another sign of summer in Pittsburgh is here: the lineup for Dollar Bank Cinema in the Park. Grab a blanket and/or set of lawn chairs — and don’t forget snacks. All screenings are free but subject to weather, and all begin at dusk — usually between 8:50 and 9:15 p.m.
Arsenal Park
40th Street at Davison Street, Lawrenceville
Fridays
- June 12 – Cars (G)
- June 26 – Wicked for Good (PG)
- July 17 – The Bad Guys 2 (PG)
- July 31 – A Minecraft Movie (PG)
- August 14 – Lilo & Stitch (PG)
Banksville Park
1461 Crane Ave., Banksville
Mondays
- June 15 – The Wiz (1978) (PG)
- July 13 – The Bad Guys 2 (PG)
Brookline Memorial Park
Oakridge Street, Brookline
Thursdays
- June 18 – The Wiz (PG)
- June 26 – The Spongebob Movie: Search for Squarepants (PG)
- July 9 – Miracle (PG)
- August 6 – Hoppers (PG)
Flagstaff Hill in Schenley Park
Oakland
Wednesdays
*Due to special construction taking place at Flagstaff Hill, the final two “Wednesday Movies” in July (July 22nd and 29th) will occur at Schenley Plaza
- June 10 – Hamnet (PG-13)
- June 17 – Creed (PG-13)
- June 24 – F1: The Movie (PG-13)
- July 1 – Hamilton (PG-13)
- July 8 – Mission Impossible: Final Reckoning (PG-13)
- July 15 – The Naked Gun (2025) (PG-13)
Grandview Park
Bailey Avenue, Mt. Washington
Saturdays
- June 13 – Cars (G)
- June 20 – The Wiz (1978) (G)
- June 27 – Wicked: For Good (PG)
- July 11 – The Spongebob Movie: Search for Squarepants (PG)
- July 18 – The Bad Guys 2 (PG)
- July 25 – Miracle (PG)
Highland Park
Reservoir Drive, Highland Park
Mondays
- June 22 – Wicked: For Good (PG)
- July 20 – Miracle (PG)
- August 10 – Lilo & Stitch (2025) (PG)
Liberty Green Park
Larimer Avenue, East Liberty
Wednesday
- August 12 – Lilo & Stitch (2025) (PG)
McBride Park
McBride Street, Lincoln Place
Mondays
- June 29 – Hamilton (PG-13)
- July 27 – A Minecraft Movie (PG)
Ormsby Park
S. 22nd Street, South Side
Tuesdays
- June 16 – The Wiz (G)
- June 30 – Hamilton (PG-13)
- July 14 – The Bad Guys 2 (PG)
- July 28 – A Minecraft Movie (PG)
- June 13 – Hamnet (PG-13)
- June 20 – Creed (PG-13)
- June 27 – F1: The Movie (PG-13)
- July 11 – Mission Impossible: Final Reckoning (PG-13)
- July 18 – The Naked Gun (PG-13)
- July 25 – The Phoenician Scheme (PG-13)
Schenley Plaza
4100 Forbes Ave., Oakland
Sundays
- July 22 – The Phoenician Scheme (PG-13)
- July 26* – Film Pittsburgh Presents: ReelAbilities Summer Shorts
- July 29 – Badlands (1973) (PG)
Troy Hill Citizens Park
- August 3 – Hoppers (PG)
West End Elliott Overlook
Rue Grande Vue Street, Elliott. (Next to Elmer Pavilion)
Mondays
- June 8 – Cars (G)
- July 6 – The Spongebob Movie: Search for Squarepants (PG)
Note: Inclement weather may cause cancellations. For cancellation updates follow follow CitiParks Office of Special Events (@pgheventsoffice) on X, Facebook or Instagram.
Even more free outdoor movies:
- June 28, 9 pm – The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants (2025)
- July 26, 8:45 pm – Willow (1988)
- Aug. 30, 8:15 pm – The Lion King (1994)
- Sept. 27, 7:30 pm – Batman (1989)
- May 17 – Shrek
- May 24 – How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
- May 31 – Inside Out
- June 7 – High School Musical 2
- June 14 – Toy Story (1 & 2)
- June 21 – Honey, I Shrunk the Kids
- June 28 – The Incredibles
- July 5 – Mamma Mia!
- July 12 – 13 Going on 30
- July 19 – Perks of Being a Wallflower
- July 26 – Moana
- Aug. 2 – The Parent Trap
- Aug. 9 – Finding Nemo
- Aug. 16 – Barbie
- Aug. 23 – Monsters, Inc.
- Aug. 30 – Twilight
- June 11 – Elio
- June 18 – A Minecraft Movie
- June 25 – Zootopia 2
- July 9 – The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants
- July 16 – Lilo and Stitch
- July 23 – The Bad Guys 2
- July 30 – Goat
- Aug. 6 – The Super Mario Galaxy Movie
- Aug. 13 – Hoppers
Bonus: Open Air Cinema
This one isn’t free, but it is outdoors. New this year, The Stacks at 3 Crossings will be home to Pittsburgh’s Open Air Cinema. The ticketed experience includes options for classic theater, lounge or tabletop seating. They’ll also have a menu of street food-inspired bites and specialty drinks, popcorn and more. The season kicks off with “Creed” on May 23 and “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t” on May 24. Tickets start at $11 per person for classic seating.
Pittsburg, PA
A Bethel Park homeowner paid a contractor nearly $3,000 to repair his porch. He says no one showed up.
A Bethel Park homeowner says he’s out thousands of dollars after hiring a contractor to replace his front porch.
Jeffrey Markoff says he hired Quaker State Construction and Supply for an $8,500 porch replacement project and paid a $2,833 deposit to secure a spot on the company’s schedule. According to paperwork reviewed by KDKA Investigates, the contract listed an approximate start date in the spring with an estimated completion time of two weeks.
Months later, Markoff says no construction crew ever arrived. He then tried to contact the owner, Gabe Clouse.
“I call the company number, and there’s no answer. The number had been disconnected, called the designer, and he gave me the cell number for the owner,” said Markoff.
When asked if he ever heard back, Markoff responded: “Never heard back and called that number twice.”
Markoff says losing the money has been frustrating.
“It’s money out of your pocket you feel somebody stole from you,” said Markoff.
KDKA Investigates took Markoff’s concerns to attorney Mike Fiffik of the Fiffik Law Group, a LegalShield provider firm, to find out what consumers can do in situations like this.
“In this situation, he has a couple of different options available to him,” said Fiffik. “If he paid the deposit with his credit card, the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act will permit him to submit a dispute.”
That process is known as a chargeback and is generally most effective when initiated within 60 days of receiving the statement. However, Markoff paid by check, meaning that the option was unavailable to him.
Instead, Fiffik recommends several other steps consumers can take:
- Contact local police and report the incident as a theft
- File a complaint with the local magistrate if the amount lost is under $12,000
- File a complaint with the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General
When asked where homeowners should file if the contractor lives elsewhere, Fiffik said, “I would file with the magistrate where the homeowner lives.”
KDKA Investigates also attempted to contact Clouse multiple times, but our messages were not returned.
KDKA Investigates learned Clouse recently took over Quaker State and Supply as the new owner. The previous owner told KDKA he sold the business to Clouse in 2024, when the company still held an A-plus rating with the Better Business Bureau. The business is now listed as closed.
Pittsburg, PA
Where to watch Colorado Rockies vs Pittsburgh Pirates: TV channel, start time, streaming for
What to know about MLB’s ABS robot umpire strike zone system
MLB launches ABS challenge system as players test robot umpire calls in a groundbreaking season.
Baseball is back and finding what channel your favorite team is playing on has become a little bit more confusing since MLB announced plans to produce and distribute broadcasts for nearly a third of the league.
We’re here to help. Here’s everything you need to know Thursday as the Colorado Rockies visit the Pittsburgh Pirates.
See USA TODAY’s sortable MLB schedule to filter by team or division.
What time is Colorado Rockies vs Pittsburgh Pirates?
First pitch between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Colorado Rockies is scheduled for (ET) on Thursday, .
How to watch Colorado Rockies vs Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday
All times Eastern and accurate as of Thursday, May 14, 2026, at 6:32 a.m.
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MLB scores, results
MLB scores for games are available on usatoday.com . Here’s how to access today’s results:
See scores, results for all of today’s games.
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