ON THE WEB:
See what else is going on around town with the Post- Gazette’s online events calendar ( and you can post your own information) at www. post- gazette. com/ events.
ALL WEEKEND At the fair
There are three county fairs in play this weekend, two of them coming to a close and one just opening its gates:
The Butler Farm Show continues through Saturday with daily activities that include The Pork Chop Review ( pigs and tricks); the comedy, banjo playing and juggling of The Moogician; and Doug Drewes’ Ox Dynasty. On Friday, it’s the World’s Largest Demolition Derby in the grandstand. Admission is $ 8. 625 Evans City Road, Butler; butlerfarmshow.com.
Greene County Fair also ends Saturday and features Dennis Beach Custom Wood Carvings, barnyard petting zoo and monster truck rides. The Chris Higbee Band performs on Thursday, and there are truck and tractor pulls on Saturday. Admission is $ 8 at 107 Fairgrounds Road, Waynesburg; greenecountyfair.org. Washington County Agricultural Fair
opens Sunday and continues through Aug. 17. Sunday’s highlights include the Fair Queen Contest and country music from Scott Shelby and Kelsie May. Admission is $ 10 at 2151 N. Main St., Washington; washingtonfair.org.
Magic man
Eric Jones left Pittsburghers disbelieving their own eyes during a sold- out sixweek run in the spring. Now the Philadelphiabased magician is back at Liberty Magic, 811 Liberty Ave., Downtown, for an encore run of “Impossible,” blurring the lines between illusion as “coins multiply and cards fly.”
It runs through Sept. 8. Tickets are $ 40 ($ 65 for behind- the- scenes time with Jones); trustarts. org or 412- 456- 6666.
THURSDAY Nelly and friends
Rap superstar Nelly, who played KeyBank Pavilion in 2017 on a bill with Florida Georgia Line, returns to the Burgettstown amphitheater headlining a package with fellow R& B/ hip- hop hitmakers TLC and Flo Rida.
Born Cornell Iral Haynes Jr. in Austin, Texas, and raised in St. Louis, Nelly was an instant success after splitting from hiphop crew St. Lunatics in 2000 to release the chart- topping debut album “Country Grammar.” The three- time Grammy winner, known for his Midwestern twang and playful sing- songy choruses, went on to become one of the top- selling artists of the decade, scoring Top 5 hits with songs like “Ride Wit Me,” “Hot in Herre,” “Air Force Ones,” “Shake Ya Tailfeather,” and “Over and Over,” a historic collaboration with country star Tim McGraw.
Nelly’s star dimmed after a decade, but he did have a Top 3 in 2010 with “Just a Dream,” and he shot back up the charts in 2013 on a remix of Florida Georgia Line’s hit “Cruise.”
Atlanta’s TLC will feature original members Tionne “T- Boz” Watkins and Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas, without the late Lisa
“Left Eye” Lopes, doing hits like “Creep,” “Waterfalls,” “No Scrubs” and “Unpretty.” Florida rapper Flo Rida brings ” Right Round,” “Club Can’t Handle Me,” ” Good Feeling,“” Wild Ones” and more.
It begins at 7 p. m. Tickets are $ 18 to $ 125; ticketmaster. com.
FRIDAY- SUNDAY Con celebs
George Takei, who played Mr. Sulu on “Star Trek” long before becoming a social media sensation, is among the stars who will be at the Monroeville Convention Center for the summer Steel City Con.
He’ll be joined by Ron Perlman and Ray Park (“Hellboy”), Karen Allen ( the Indiana Jones movies), Shirley Jones (“The Partridge Family”), Lea Thompson, Kelly Hu, Costas Mandylor, Shawnee Smith, Morgan Fairchild and more. Paul Reubens ( Pee- wee Herman), unfortunately, had to bail.
There will be 750 vendor tables with all sorts of cool stuff to buy, panels and more.
Hours are 10 a. m. to 8 p. m. Friday and Saturday and 10 a. m. to 5 p. m. Sunday. Tickets are $ 23 Friday, $ 35 Saturday and $ 23 Sunday; three- day pass is $ 50; steelcitycon.com.
SATURDAY Country grit
Chris Stapleton, who does country right, brings his All American Road Show to KeyBank Pavilion, Burgettstown, on a bill with the Marcus King Band and Margo Price.
The gritty country- rocker from Kentucky got his start in bluegrass band The SteelDrivers before setting off on his own in 2015 with “Traveller,” which won him the first of five Grammys, to go with
seven ACMs and 10 CMAs. His most recent album was 2017’ s “From a Room: Volume 2.”
The show is at 7 p. m. Tickets are $ 34 to $ 89; ticketmaster. com.
From the garden
VegFest takes over Allegheny Commons Park on the North Side with the finest in Pittsburgh’s vegan cuisine.
Along with the array of food items, there will be cooking demonstrations, talks, a yoga session and Happy Vegan Pet Walk.
It runs from 11 a. m. to 5 p. m. Free; pittsburghvegfest. org.
Breezin’
The Brookline Breeze, 5K run and fitness walk and 1- mile fun run, takes place at 8: 35 a. m. at Brookline Boulevard at Pioneer Avenue. Info at brooklinebreeze. com.
SUNDAY Cafe Racers
Sewickley’s War Memorial Park will be filled with cool retro bikes on Sunday for the 12th annual Cafe Racer Magazine’s Reader’s Ride- In Custom Show.
Judging categories will include Best Japanese Cafe Racer, Best British Cafe Racer, Best European/ American Cafe Racer, People’s Choice, Wildest Engineering, Best in Show and Restored Antique Motorcycles.
It will feature free demo rides aboard 2019 motorcycles from India’s Royal Enfield for those with a valid motorcycle operator’s license.
There will be vendors with the latest motorcycle riding gear, custom parts and accessories, a swap meet, and a used bike corral. There will also be rockabilly from Highway 13 and retro rock from DJ Blair, plus food trucks from Piper’s Pub’s fish and chips, La Cantina specialty Mexican, and Sewickley’s Bridgeside Market.
It begins at 10 a. m. with judging at 4 p. m. Admission is $ 10; caferacermag. com/ bikeshows.
FREE MUSIC AND MOVIES
The Dollar Bank Cinema Jam” THURSDAY- in the Park SUNDAY: series screens “Space
at Brookline Memorial Park ( Thursday), Arsenal Park in Lawrenceville ( Friday) and Grandview Park, Mount Washington ( Saturday). “Golden Door” will be shown at Riverview Park, Observatory Hill ( Saturday). “Ralph Breaks the Internet” is at Schenley Plaza, Oakland ( Sunday). Dusk; pittsburghpa. gov/ events.
THURSDAY- FRIDAY: The South Side Works series continues with Sam Stucky
( Thursday) and Ira Soul ( Friday) at 6 p. m.
FRIDAY: The South Park Amphitheater concert series presents country singer
RaeLynn ( from “The Voice”) at 7: 30 p. m. Food trucks and Hop Farm Brewing Company will be on site beginning at 6 p. m.
FRIDAY: The Summersounds series continues at St. Clair Park’s Robertshaw Amphitheater, Greensburg, with Seven Nations at 7 p. m.; summersounds. com.
SATURDAY: Funky Fly Project plays the Stars at Riverview Jazz Series at Riverview Park, Observatory Hill, at 7 p. m., prior to Cinema in the Park; pittsburghpa. gov/ events.
SUNDAY: Hartwood Acres in Hampton has The B. B. King Blues Band featuring Michael Lee/ Melinda Colaizzi & The Night Sky at 7: 30 p. m. Food trucks and Hop Farm Brewing Company will be on site at 6 p. m. SUNDAY: East Winds Symphonic Band
plays the Bach, Beethoven and Brunch Concert Series at Mellon Park, Fifth and Shady avenues, Point Breeze/ Squirrel Hill, from 10: 30 a. m.- noon; pittsburghpa. gov/ events. SUNDAY: Reservoir of Jazz Concert Series in Highland Park presents Don Aliquo at 5 p. m.