Consider this your first look at draft activities!

The big picture: We got a look behind the curtain yesterday — touring the draft stage and festivities inside Acrisure, riding the Clipper and visiting the fun at Point State Park.

• The draft is free; just register through the NFL One Pass app.

Zoom in: Gates open at noon today and tomorrow, and 9am Saturday.

• The actual draft — when teams pick players — doesn't start until 8pm today, 7pm tomorrow and noon on Saturday.

Getting there: Light-rail and Football Flyer buses are free and will get you to the draft from the suburbs.

• For light rail, exit at Gateway for Point State Park and North Side for the draft stage and Acrisure.
• The Football Flyer stops at Market Square; Stanwix and Penn Avenue; and Federal Street and West General Robinson, outside PNC Park.
• Driving is discouraged, but the First Avenue garage and Second Avenue lot near the Allegheny County Jail are a better deal and close to the First Avenue T station, which will take you to the draft.
• Bike Pittsburgh has a guide for riding to the draft on two wheels.

Wi-Fi is free (network #DraftWifi) and works on the North Shore but not at Point State Park.

Gateway Clipper rides run all through the draft from Station Square to the North Shore.

• The special free rides from outside Acrisure to Point State Park run only tomorrow and Saturday. That ride takes about eight minutes from loading to unloading.

You'll have to walk between the North Shore and Point State Park today. It's a bit over a mile on Roberto Clemente Bridge, which will be closed to traffic.

Non-football fun

NFL draft crowds will be among the first to see Market Square's $15 million renovation after a year of work.

Why it matters: The city is fast-tracking new projects to draw people back Downtown after pandemic-era hits to foot traffic, while teeing up Pittsburgh for a busy tourism year.

Zoom in: A new semicircular steel-and-glass pavilion, outfitted with lighting, anchors the space and makes the square more adaptable for markets, holiday celebrations and other events.

• The southern portion of Market Square (the Primanti's side) is now pedestrian-only; officials can close the northern section to vehicle traffic as needed.
• Other upgrades include 110% more outdoor seating, expanded electrical capacity, improved irrigation for additional trees, a new brick streetscape replacing the old bumpy road, and a network of security cameras officials said would bolster public safety at the space.

What's next: The space will serve as a draft hub through Saturday as part of the Picksburgh installations, with live music, a pop-up bar tent, blacksmith demonstrations from Rivers of Steel, games and giveaways.

What they're saying

⚽ The Riverhounds' home stadium is now F.N.B. Stadium under a new naming rights deal with First National Bank, replacing Highmark Stadium.

• The club is planning a $150 million renovation to triple capacity to 15,000 by 2028 and support a push for USL Division One. (Press release)

🔩 U.S. Steel is launching "Steel on the Move," a national tour marking its 125th anniversary with an immersive art exhibit.

• The tour's centerpiece, "Forging Our Future," debuts today at 600 Grant St. Downtown. (Press release)

🦅 The rescued eaglet that swallowed a fishhook in its nest near U.S. Steel's Irvin plant is recovering well after lifesaving surgery. (Tamarack Wildlife Center)

Allegheny County failed every pollution test in the American Lung Association's annual State of the Air Report yesterday.

Why it matters: The county is home to hundreds of thousands of residents who face a higher risk of pollution-related health problems.

The big picture: Roughly 44% of Americans are living in places that get failing grades for unhealthy levels of ozone or particle pollution, per the report.

How it works: Researchers use local air quality data to grade and rank locations based on high ozone days, daily particle pollution and annual particle pollution.

• Ground-level ozone, the main component of smog, forms when emissions from cars, power plants and other sources react in sunlight.
• The report notes that ozone pollution has worsened across much of the U.S., over the past two years as climate change drives extreme heat and wildfires.
• Particle pollution involves tiny airborne particles from car exhaust, wildfires, fossil fuel burning and more.

Zoom in: The Pittsburgh-Weirton-Steubenville metro area ranked No. 16 nationally for worst annual particle pollution out of 211 U.S. metros.

• It ranked No. 63 for high ozone days out of 226 metros.

Yes, but: The county's air has dramatically improved over the past two decades, per American Lung Association measures, and is vastly better than it was before the 1970 Clean Air Act.

The other side: Pittsburgh Works Together, a business-labor alliance focused on regional economic growth, criticized the ALA's annual air quality report, arguing its methodology is an oversimplification and relies on the highest readings from EPA-approved monitors.

• It has released its own air quality evaluation.

The bottom line: Check daily pollution forecasts at Airnow.gov or PurpleAir.

Key findings

Get your kielbasa at the NFL draft.

The intrigue: Yinzer-themed stuff is everywhere on the NFL draft campus, including the Aramark concessions.

Dig in: Try a Steel City Dog ($10.75) complete with vinegar slaw and potato sticks to imitate the famous french-fry-stuffed Primanti's sandwich.

• The Kielbasa Cheesesteak ($15) combines kielbasa, sauerkraut, sliced provolone and mustard.
• The Strip District Pepperoni Roll ($13.25) is served with a side of marinara.

Bottoms up: The Immaculate Refreshment cocktail ($26.50) is made of orange Crush soda, Absolut Mandrin vodka and triple sec, and topped with a splash of Starry lemon-lime soda.

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