😋 Come hungry to PNC Park this Friday.

⚾️ The intrigue: The Pirates unveiled their concession lineup for 2026, with a mix of savory surprises, sweet pastries and inventive yinzer comfort foods.

🏟️ Driving the news: Axios previewed what's new at PNC Park yesterday ahead of the Pirates home opener on Friday.

🤳 Go deeper: Check out our Instagram coverage for our ratings.

Do's

🌽 Heavy Hitter Dog: A footlong corn dog with yellow mustard and pickle salsa, aka pickle de gallo, had a pleasant crisp and added freshness from the salsa.

🍟 Chipped Ham Fries: An emulsion of Pittsburgh comfort foods: fries, chipped ham, cheese sauce and sweet and vinegary BBQ sauce. Extremely satisfying.

🐓 Coop Puppy: A nice surprise to have a piece of fried chicken on a hot dog bun.

🍗 Smoked Turkey Leg with Mac and Cheese: Tender, smoky and very rich.

💭 Alexis' thought bubble: The turkey should have been served with fries. Keep it all finger food. I don't want to use a fork at a ballgame.

Skip

🌭 Boricua Dog: Sofrito beef dog has good flavor, but there's too much bun, and the potato sticks felt a bit distracting.

🍫 Nutella Beignets: Not crispy enough as a beignet should be, and not nearly enough Nutella filling.

🧢 What's next: First pitch for the Pirates home opener is 4:12pm Friday.

More food reviews

April is packed with everything from massive fan conventions and the NFL Draft to food festivals and live shows.

Here's what's happening around the city this month.

• Vintage Pittsburgh | April 4 | Heinz History Center | 10am-4pm | Ticketed event
• Boys 4 Life Tour | April 4 | Petersen Events Center | 8pm | Ticketed event
• Dumpling Fest | April 8 | Pepper Space | 5pm-9pm | Ticketed event
• Steel City Con | April 10-12 | Monroeville Convention Center | Hours vary | Ticketed event
• Sip & Swirl: Wine & Dinos | April 10 | Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium | 6:30pm-9:30pm | Ticketed event
• TacoMania Brawl | April 11 | Pittsburgh Brewing Co. | 3pm-9pm | Ticketed event
• 412 Fest | April 12 | Bakery Square | 12pm-5pm | Free
• Three Rivers Beer Week | April 8-12 | Locations and times vary | Mix of free and ticketed events
• VegFair | April 18 | 11am-4pm | Rockwell Park | Free
• 2026 NFL Draft | April 23-25 | Acrisure Stadium | Hours vary | Free

5 more events

🔬U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick said Monday he would oppose a reported White House plan to cut National Institutes of Health funding by 20% after touring several Pittsburgh biomedical research institutes. (WESA)

• "Pennsylvania is one of the great life sciences hubs in the world ... What's happening here is extraordinary — treatment centers where discoveries are being made, researchers dedicated to finding answers, and families whose lives have been changed," he said in a statement.

🦅 Irvin and Stella, the bald eagles nesting near U.S. Steel's Irvin plant, welcomed their first two eaglets of the season this week. (Watch live here)

🚫 Fat Heads Saloon on the South Side is closing April 26. One of the region's craft beer pioneers is leaving after 34 years in operation. (WTAE)

🧁 Confections, from pastry chef Casey Renee, opens April 11 in Regent Square. The shop will offer seasonal cakes, custom orders, and a daily café with rotating scones, garlic cheddar biscuits, vegan blueberry muffins, French macarons, and coffee from Redstart Roasters. (Press release)

Pittsburgh-based nonprofit SisTers PGH marked Trans Day of Visibility yesterday with a grand opening celebration for The Stonewall Inn, a new Downtown resource center.

Why it matters: Access to gender-affirming care and other support in Pittsburgh is tightening amid policy fights and legal challenges, widening gaps for those already facing economic strain and social support disparities.

Zoom in: The drop-in center at 211 Smithfield St. will connect transgender individuals experiencing homelessness or discrimination with gender-affirming care and services by providing meals, showers, laundry, hygiene supplies, mental health support, peer counseling, and case management.

• The team will also help visitors find housing, jobs, legal aid and medical support, plus host community programming.

Context: Named in honor of the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in New York City, the center will expand outreach and services for transgender and nonbinary people across Southwestern Pennsylvania.

More on the center

Those missing their Bucco Bricks can now find the messages on plaques at PNC Park.

Why it matters: The Pirates removed fans' engraved bricks last year — which temporarily caused controversy — before announcing they would replace the commemorative messages first installed as sidewalk blocks when PNC Park was built 25 years ago.

Driving the news: The plaques are ready in time for the home opener on Friday, Pirates president Travis Williams told reporters on yesterday.

• They are made from locally forged bronze and span PNC Park's outside walls on General Robinson Street and Mazeroski Way.

Between the lines: Williams said the plaques are easier for fans to find and take selfies with.

What else is new at PNC Park