Modeled on the “Pop Up City” concept, which seeks to momentarily revitalize a neighborhood that has excess vacant land, PopUp! Pittsburgh seeks to develop a temporary, low-cost initiative that has the ability to surprise, provoke, and entertain city residents and visitors in ways that change perceptions about the places where they occur.
Neighborhood Allies partners with Leadership Pittsburgh Inc. each year to support this initiative and connect a cohort of emerging leaders to our partners and allies on the ground in a selected community. This year, PopUp! Pittsburgh is in Wilkinsburg, and they have partnered with our friends at Wilkinsburg CDC to plan a great day of celebration planned for residents and visitors alike.
Link on Penn will highlight the best of Wilkinsburg by providing a space for residents to connect, linking Wilkinsburg in positive ways to Pittsburgh and beyond with festive camaraderie and a “street-fair” vibe. The event will feature food trucks, live music from Grace Band and INK, and fascinating stories about the history and people of Wilkinsburg.
The event will provide new and exciting ways to showcase Wilkinsburg’s many strengths. Specifically, Link on Penn will:
- Link youth with each other and their communities. Link on Penn will give high school students from Wilkinsburg and Westinghouse chances to collaborate and create. Youth reporters will interview attendees at a live booth provided by The Saturday Light Brigade. Students from both communities will perform on stage. Wilkinsburg Ministerium and Sanctuary Project will provide spaces for young children to play and laugh together.
- Link storytellers with an audience. The goal of #WilkinsburgStories is to collect stories of Wilkinsburg, one resident at a time through the use of the StoryCorps app. All stories are uploaded to the Library of Congress to preserve the history of Wilkinsburg. A selection of the stories collected will be highlighted at Link on Penn.
- Link businesses with customers, new and old. On May 21st, the site of the Penn-Lincoln hotel will be filled with food, beverage, and art vendors from Wilkinsburg. A map will be provided to all attendees to guide them to easily walkable spots within the downtown business district.
Come out on May 21 to experience an event that showcases the positivity and brilliance in Wilkinsburg, PA, at an event that is free and open to the public. Music, food, and family fun – Link on Penn will have something for everyone!