This weekend in Pittsburgh’s Northside, don’t miss Dr. Chao’s Refugee Education Workshop at City of Asylum, Flamingo Fest at the National Aviary, and more.

Photo: National Aviary Curator of Behavioral Management and Education, Cathy Schlott, taking care of the resident flamingos. Courtesy of the National Aviary

Thursday, Feb. 20

Thursday Group Run with Steel City Road Runners (SCRR)

“Meet at Allegheny City Brewing, 507 Foreland St, Pittsburgh, PA 15212 – Caribbean Vybz, LLC food truck and live reggae music! 6:15 check in, 6:30 run. 3 and 5 mile options.” More information is available here.  Email SCRR with questions.

The Jazz Conspiracy at the Elks

The Big Band Swing with Beginner Swing Dance Lessons will be held at Allegheny Elks Lodge #339, located at 400 Cedar Avenue. Dance lessons will start at 7 p.m. to 8:00 pm at no extra charge. The Jazz Conspiracy Big Band starts swinging at 8:00 pm. This event is open to the public. No dance experience or partner is required. This event is also great for folks who want to enjoy live music without dancing. If you’re lucky, you might walk out a few bucks richer thanks to the weekly 50/50 raffle. This event is $10 general admission and $5 students with student ID at the door. Families are encouraged to attend. More information is available here.

Trivia Nite at Spring Hill Brewing

“Trivia Nite at Spring Hill Brewing returns! Host Aaron DeLeo has been recognized by the City Paper and Pittsburgh Magazine as one of the city’s top trivia writers — so the brainwaves (and the taps) will certainly be flowing hard! Reach into the far recesses of your memory and see who teases out the most knowledge! Teams up to four. Prizes for the top two teams. Badamo’s Pizza baked in-house, too! Don’t miss out!” Click here for the Facebook event page.

Friday, Feb. 21

Dr. Chao’s Refugee Education Workshop at City of Asylum

“Join Dr. Xia Chao (Duquesne University) for the last interactive workshop of the 4-part series dedicated to helping educators understand the literacies, cultures, and needs of the Pittsburgh area’s refugee communities. This session will help educators learn specific strategies of teaching English learners. Through a grant from the National Geographic Society, Dr. Chao has conducted research over the past several years that explores the experiences and narratives of local refugee communities including the Nepali, Karen, and Somali Bantu.” Find more information and register for free tickets here.

Fit of Body, Pat Coyle & Alvin Row at Government Center

“doors 7, music 8, BYOB // $5-10 for touring artist fit of body (ATL) – hazy electrojazz / avant-pop off 2MR !!!, pat coyle (BACK FROM LA!!!) – futuro-percussion mind benders & psych pop lil ditties, sneeze awfull & thousandzz of beezz (PGH) – round robin set of experimental cello/electronics AND doll pop goodness [!!2 FOR 1!!], alvin row (PGH) – sample psych groovescape.” Facebook event page is here.

Saturday, Feb. 22

Flamingo Fest at the National Aviary

“Ditch the cold and get tropical with your flock at Flamingo Fest at the National Aviary! At this family-friendly event, you can get close to a flock of vibrant American Flamingos and meet other colorful island birds when you go on a Flamingo Island Adventure—you may even get to feed them. Learn how flamingos build their nests out of sand, and find out how they get their brilliant pink color from the food they eat.” Event is today and tomorrow from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. More information is available here.

Mummy Mania Weekend at Carnegie Science Center

“If you’ve been waiting to visit or want to re-visit Mummies of The World, this is the perfect weekend to come! Visit this blockbuster exhibition Sat.–Sun., Feb. 22–23 and chat with mummy experts inside the gallery. Plus, purchase general admission to the Science Center and enjoy mummy-themed activities throughout the building, snap mummy-inspired photos at a green-screen photo booth, and explore the history, science, and processes behind mummification at our Pharaoh’s Phrog live demonstration show in the Works Theater.” Tickets are available here.

Sunday, Feb. 23

Mardi Gras Celebration at Brighton Heights Lutheran Church

This event is scheduled from noon to 4 p.m. There will be a free will offering, raffles, great food, and music from The Blue Orphans. Brighton Heights Lutheran Church is located at 3830 California Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15212, at the corner of California Avenue and Perrot Avenue in the Brighton Heights section of Pittsburgh. It is right across the street from Miller’s Seafood House and only a few blocks from the Bellevue Bridge. Call 412-761-8545 or email bhlcsecretary@outlook.com for more information.

Silent Book Club at California Coffee Bar

“All bibliophiles, readers, lit-lovers welcome! …New to Silent Book Clubs? Want to meet other readers, get lost in the pages, and enjoy good coffee? We’d love to have you! Pittsburgh’s Silent Book Club will meet at California Coffee Co. in the Brighton Heights neighborhood on Pittsburgh’s North Side. Look for the SBC sign and your host, Leah. Schedule: 12:30-1pm, Meet, introductions, order coffee/food and settle in; 1-2p, Silent reading hour; 2-3p, Keep reading, enjoy quiet conversation, or hit the road: the choice is yours! Check out the Facebook event here.

Have an event you’d like us to feature online in the Northside Happenings? Every week on our website, we announce free or almost-free events happening in the Northside, Thursday through Sunday. Fill out our Google Form or email a paragraph detailing the name of the event, location, specifics and a website or contact information to editor@thenorthsidechronicle.com. Deadline is 4 p.m. on the Wednesday before the weekend.