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A Dolly Parton-inspired corn maze an hour from Pittsburgh opens Friday, celebrating the country music legend and 31 years of her Imagination Library.

The big picture: Irons Mill Farmstead in New Wilmington, near the Lawrence-Mercer County line, joins a national corn maze initiative celebrating Parton's literacy program.

It's another way to honor Parton, who died this week at 80. Fans are remembering the star for her one-of-a-kind talent, philanthropy and playful spirit.

Green textured doormat with beige raised line art showing a woman’s portrait, a butterfly, a heart, a gift box, and a bordered maze frame on a grass-like surface.

Get lost in the 10-acre maze. Photo: Courtesy of Irons Mill Farmstead

Context: Parton, who grew up on a small Tennessee farm, recently shared her support for the corn maze initiative benefiting her Imagination Library, which provides free books to children from birth to age 5.

A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the program.

Zoom in: The maze is one of over 40 attractions at Irons Mill's fall festival this season, open select days through Nov. 1.

If you go: Irons Mill Farmstead, 252 Greenfield Road, New Wilmington. 

This weekend's hours are Friday 4pm-9pm, Saturday 10am-9pm and Sunday 10am-7pm. 

Festival day passes are $16-$27. Tickets here.

Dolly Parton corn maze opens near Pittsburgh

The fall attraction benefits Parton's Imagination Library.

Aerial view of a large green corn maze with winding paths creating complex patterns, bordered by dirt tracks and rows of trees.

Honor Dolly’s roots and literacy initiatives an hour from Pittsburgh. Photo: Courtesy of Irons Mill Farmstead on Facebook

A <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Dolly Parton-inspired corn maze" data-vars-click-url="https://www.instagram.com/p/Dce_UTbOwP5/?hl=en" data-vars-content-id="034c6c87-e024-487a-bd90-fceee5c8b1ff" data-vars-headline="Dolly Parton corn maze opens near Pittsburgh" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Dce_UTbOwP5/?hl=en" target="_blank">Dolly Parton-inspired corn maze</a> an hour from Pittsburgh opens Friday, celebrating the country music legend and 31 years of her<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text=" Imagination Library" data-vars-click-url="https://imaginationlibrary.com/" data-vars-content-id="034c6c87-e024-487a-bd90-fceee5c8b1ff" data-vars-headline="Dolly Parton corn maze opens near Pittsburgh" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://imaginationlibrary.com/" target="_blank"> Imagination Library</a>.The big picture: Irons Mill Farmstead in New Wilmington, near the Lawrence-Mercer County line, joins a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="national" data-vars-click-url="https://www.facebook.com/reel/1547704596579471" data-vars-content-id="034c6c87-e024-487a-bd90-fceee5c8b1ff" data-vars-headline="Dolly Parton corn maze opens near Pittsburgh" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.facebook.com/reel/1547704596579471" target="_blank">national</a> corn maze initiative celebrating Parton&#x27;s literacy program.

Culture

Things to Do

News

A social media stunt involving Pittsburgh's beloved "Star Wars" vending machine has the region up in arms.

Why it matters: Los Angeles-based content creator Braeden Days said last week he took Mt. Washington's "Star Wars" vending machine, prompting a flurry of reactions from locals, including prominent radio personalities.

Critics say the stunt ruined what made the machine special: its authenticity.

Context: The 1999 "Star Wars: Phantom Menace" Pepsi machine has sat outside Mt. Washington's Fire Station 27 for decades, becoming a viral neighborhood landmark and a destination for "Star Wars" fans.

Catch up quick: Last week, Pittsburghers realized the original had been swapped with a hand-painted replica. Days, known for his social media "heists," later posted a video taking responsibility.

In an Aug. 28 video that has since been removed, Days said the machine had been broken for years and questioned what happened to Pepsi's $10,000 donation to the fire station in 2022. 

Previous reporting shows the money was donated to the firehouse, but not specifically for maintaining the retro machine.

Locals quickly flooded Days' post, including 96.1 KISS "Morning Freak Show" co-host Mikey Dougherty. Dougherty said Monday morning that Days privately asked him not to post a video criticizing the stunt.

Days then posted a video Monday alongside the original machine — wearing a Jar Jar Binks mask — saying he plans to repair and return it. He said he has "full permission from the owners." 

"The vending machine has been broken for a couple of years. They were actually going to get rid of it in the next couple of years," he said. "I love Pittsburgh, I love 'Star Wars,' and I didn't want to see this go away."

Days confirmed to Axios Pittsburgh on Instagram that he's from Pittsburgh, but based in LA. He didn't reply to questions about when the machine might return as of late Monday.

Pittsburgh Public Safety, which oversees the fire department, did not respond to a request for comment. 

State of play: Some Pittsburghers weren't mad about the repair but with how it played out — especially Days' apparent swipe at the fire station.

What they're saying: "For people to be in the dark, it's like you took a piece of Pittsburgh, replaced it with a shittier version," said Dougherty on Instagram. "It seemed unnecessary to stress a lot of people out."

Yes, but: Some people supported the stunt.

Instagram user @jessanfrom commented that she had judged Days too quickly and was happy he was repairing it.

"Pittsburg [sic] needed to know that your intentions were honorable so this had to be done. Thank you for stepping up and getting the machine fixed for your city," wrote Instagram user @chomeinthehouse.

For others, the sentiment was simpler: It's just not that serious.

💭 Our thought bubble: The vending machine went viral because it had sat unchanged for more than a decade and felt locked in time.

Its charm represents Pittsburgh's embrace of stasis, whether that's good or bad.

The bottom line: May the force be with anyone who messes with Pittsburgh's nostalgia.

Pittsburgh's beloved "Star Wars" vending machine

"Star Wars" vending machine stunt awakens Pittsburgh's ire

The creator says he'll repair and return the beloved Mt. Washington landmark, but not everyone's happy.

Person wearing a brown dinosaur mask sits on a stool in a cluttered workshop, arms raised. Left: large Star Wars/Pepsi poster; back: TV displaying a VR image; right: red tool chest.

Braeden Days, in a Jar Jar Binks mask and a video fit for a ransom demand, says he’ll repair and return the machine. Screenshot: Braeden Days on Instagram

A social media stunt involving <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Pittsburgh&#x27;s beloved &quot;Star Wars&quot; vending machine" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/2026/08/27/star-wars-vending-machine-replaced-pittsburgh" data-vars-content-id="068bae5b-67e9-4eb1-a4b6-3c4042b9e8e7" data-vars-headline="&quot;Star Wars&quot; vending machine stunt awakens Pittsburgh&#x27;s ire" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/2026/08/27/star-wars-vending-machine-replaced-pittsburgh" target="_self">Pittsburgh&#x27;s beloved &quot;Star Wars&quot; vending machine</a> has the region up in arms.Why it matters: Los Angeles-based content creator Braeden Days said <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="last week" data-vars-click-url="https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/content-creator-claims-he-took-mount-washingtons-iconic-star-wars-vending-machine/OX77WMBFO5AXTGNMW6E45AAULE/" data-vars-content-id="068bae5b-67e9-4eb1-a4b6-3c4042b9e8e7" data-vars-headline="&quot;Star Wars&quot; vending machine stunt awakens Pittsburgh&#x27;s ire" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/content-creator-claims-he-took-mount-washingtons-iconic-star-wars-vending-machine/OX77WMBFO5AXTGNMW6E45AAULE/" target="_blank">last week</a> he took Mt. Washington&#x27;s &quot;Star Wars&quot; vending machine, prompting a flurry of reactions from locals, including prominent radio personalities.

To paraphrase "The Graduate" — I've got two words for you, Pennsylvania: local control. That's the past, present and probably future.

The big picture: The Keystone State was set to be a key player in the next economic revolution thanks to $90 billion in AI and energy investment announced in Pittsburgh last year, but grassroots uprisings, fear of changing local communities, and shifting feelings about tech have combined to put Pennsylvania on a new course of anti-data-center backlash.

Catch up quick: Gov. Josh Shapiro issued an executive order last week in part to give municipalities more control over where hyperscale data centers are built — a move that may have significant implications as proposals face growing public opposition across Pennsylvania.

Before the state will issue permits, developers must show their project has secured all required local zoning approvals.

Developers that accept the state's GRID standards can pursue state reviews while seeking local approvals.

What they're saying: "The common thread … is that local governments now go first," K&L Gates lawyers wrote in a brief following the order. "State permits wait on local land use and zoning approvals regardless of which path a developer chooses."

Stunning stat: Real estate services firm JLL's midyear North America Data Center Report finds community acceptance is now the industry's leading challenge: 79% of Americans support U.S. leadership in AI, but only 14% support a data center in their own community.

Case in point: When Shapiro visited Luzerne County in November 2024 to pitch his new fast-track permitting process and tech center, it was met with positivity and some ambivalence, says Luzerne County resident and activist Annie Vinatieri.

Then utility companies started to ask residents to run power lines through their properties. Vinatieri and others soon discovered the Project Hazelnut hyperscale data center plans through Right-to-Know requests, she says.

Less than a year later, residents flooded local meetings and got township officials to table the plans.

"It is a complete 180 from that 2024 press conference," says Vinatieri. "People don't want to be kept in the dark …. If they had been upfront about stuff, it might have gone better."

State of play: The majority of Americans say they mainly oppose data centers because of their effect on the local environment (50%), neighborhood character and quality of life (14%), and utility rates (10%), according to a Fox News poll taken in late July.

Only about 11% of Americans oppose data centers mainly because of their negative views of AI.

The bottom line: It's unsurprising that local control is wielding its power against data centers, since local control tends to win out in Pennsylvania politics.

Several municipal mergers in the Pittsburgh-area have failed over the years as residents have maintained their desire for local control.

The PennEast pipeline was canceled in 2021 after years of opposition from locals along the 116-mile route from Pennsylvania to New Jersey.

fast-track permitting process and tech center

How Pa. went from data center darling to strict controls

Community opposition is reshaping how Pennsylvania handles its data center boom.

A yard sign opposing a planned data center is displayed along Route 54 in Mount Carmel Township Northumberland County.

Data center opposition has hit countless Pennsylvania towns, including Mount Carmel Township in Northumberland County. Photo: Paul Weaver/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

To paraphrase &quot;The Graduate&quot; — I&#x27;ve got two words for you, Pennsylvania: local control. That&#x27;s the past, present and probably future.The big picture: The Keystone State was set to be a key player in the next economic revolution thanks to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="$90 billion in AI and energy investment" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/2025/07/15/pittsburgh-pennsylvania-ai-energy-investment" data-vars-content-id="1b4a7bb9-8a2e-499c-bad8-53ef49a9fcff" data-vars-headline="How Pa. went from data center darling to strict controls" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/pittsburgh/2025/07/15/pittsburgh-pennsylvania-ai-energy-investment" target="_self">$90 billion in AI and energy investment</a> announced in Pittsburgh last year, but grassroots uprisings, fear of changing local communities, and shifting feelings about tech have combined to put Pennsylvania on a new course of anti-data-center backlash.

Politics

Development

It may not feel like it with extreme heat settling over the region this week, but fall is closing in — bringing film fests, food fests and even a parallel parking championship.

Here are Pittsburgh's top events this September.

Soul Food Fest | Sept. 4-6 | Downtown | 11am-10pm | Free

Acrisure Stadium Kickoff and Rib Festival | Sept. 3-7 | North Shore | Times vary | Free

ReelAbilities Film Festival | Sept. 3-13 | In-person screening at Pittsburgh Playhouse Sept. 3, followed by virtual viewing | Times vary | All-access pass $75

Britsburgh Festival | Sept. 7-13 | Locations, times and ticketed events vary

Pittsburgh Irish Festival | Sept. 11-13 | Carrie Blast Furnaces | Friday 4-11pm, Saturday 11am-11pm, Sunday 9am-5pm | $25+ at the gate

Clemente Bridge Fest | Sept. 11 | Roberto Clemente Bridge | 3-7pm | $21+

Pittsburgh Taco Festival | Sept. 12 | The Stacks at 3 Crossings | 12:30-7pm | $6+

Pittsburgh County Fair | Sept. 12 | Allegheny Commons Park West | 11am-5pm | Free

Dreamfest Block Party | Sept. 12 | Hill District | Noon-8pm | Free

Phantom Fall Fest | Sept. 12- Nov. 1 | Kennywood | Select dates and times | $40+

Pittsburgh Brewing Co. Oktoberfest | Sept. 12 and 26 | PBC | Noon-10pm | $15+

Fall Fest & The Great Pup-Kin Race | Sept. 13 | The Waterfront | 1-5pm | Free

Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival | Sept. 17-20 | August Wilson African American Cultural Center | Times vary | Ticketed and free events

Penn Brewery Oktoberfest | Sept. 18-20 and 25-27| Troy Hill | 5-11:30pm Friday-Saturday, 12-7pm Sunday| Free

Panda Fest | Sept. 18-20 | Station Square East Lot | Timed ticketing | $17+

Chinese Cultural Festival | Sept. 19 | Mellon Park | 11am-5pm | Free

Parallel Parking Championship | Sept. 19 | Strip District | 10am-2pm | Free

Four Chord Music Fest | Sept. 25-26 | FNB Stadium | Times vary | $250 for 2-day pass

Great Race weekend | Sept. 26-27 | Oakland, Squirrel Hill | Race times and registration fees vary

Acrisure Stadium Kickoff and Rib Festival

What to do in Pittsburgh this September 

As fall approaches, expect a bevy of food fests, live music, Oktoberfest and a parallel parking showdown.

Find hundreds of Asian street food vendors, merch, a 5-foot inflatable panda and live performances at Panda Fest. Photo: Courtesy of Panda Fest

It may not feel like it with extreme heat settling over the region this week, but fall is closing in — bringing film fests, food fests and even a parallel parking championship.Here are Pittsburgh&#x27;s top events this September.

Food and Drink

Data: RentCafe.com; Chart: Jim Sergent, Axios


The average new Pittsburgh apartment shrunk by 15% in the past decade, per a new survey from RentCafe.

Why it matters: Despite shrinking square footage, Pittsburgh renters are paying more — even accounting for a 39% rise in inflation.

Zoom in: Pittsburgh's new apartments slimmed down 142 square feet to 804, while Zillow finds the average apartment rents for $1,499 per month.

That's $498 more, up 8% adjusted for inflation, than 10 years ago.

The big picture: Pittsburgh is bucking the national trend. The typical new apartment in the 100 cities RentCafe looked at grew 13 square feet, or a little over 1%, between 2016 and 2025.

Floor plans grew the most in the South where Tallahassee, Florida, has the nation's highest average: 1,156 square feet.

Seattle is the smallest, with an average of 645 square feet.

Pittsburgh renters are paying more for less

New apartments lost 142 square feet over a decade while inflation-adjusted rents rose.

chart showing rents across cities including pittsburgh

Data: Yardi Matrix via RentCafe.com; Chart: Jim Sergent, Axios

The average new Pittsburgh apartment shrunk by 15% in the past decade, per a new survey from <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="RentCafe" data-vars-click-url="https://www.rentcafe.com/blog/rental-market/market-snapshots/national-average-apartment-size/" data-vars-content-id="72d3e5a6-9504-411c-b1bb-31c47954daa5" data-vars-headline="Pittsburgh renters are paying more for less" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.rentcafe.com/blog/rental-market/market-snapshots/national-average-apartment-size/" target="_blank">RentCafe</a>.Why it matters: Despite shrinking square footage, Pittsburgh renters are paying more — even accounting for a 39% rise in inflation.

Bar chart shows the average size of new apartments, ranging from 1,156 square feet in Tallahassee, Fla., to Seattle at 645 square feet. The U.S. average is 910 square feet.

Chrissy Suttles

Featured stories

"Star Wars" vending machine stunt awakens Pittsburgh's ire

What to do in Pittsburgh this September

Dolly Parton corn maze opens near Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh renters are paying more for less

How Pa. went from data center darling to strict controls