Event Details

It’s the event of the season. It’s a night like no other. It’s not to be missed. It’s The Sprout Fund’s eighth annual Hothouse summer showcase event and it’s on Saturday, August 28, 2010 at the former Don Allen Auto City at Baum Boulevard and Liberty Avenue in Pittsburgh’s East End.

Tickets Now on Sale

Hothouse is a party that benefits The Sprout Fund. Buy your tickets today! Doors open at 7pm for VIP ticket holders and 9pm for all others.

General Admission includes the main party from 9:00pm to 12:00am, complimentary food from Pittsburgh favorites, and complimentary beer, wine, and spirits (sold for $50 in advance / $60 at the door / $25 college students)

VIP Admission includes a reception from 7:00pm to 9:00pm, Sprout goodie bag with Hothouse T-Shirt, complimentary valet parking, and admission to main party (sold for $150)

Location & Atmosphere

Hothouse transforms the former site of Don Allen Auto City into a county fair the likes of which you’ve never seen. The Hall of Mirrors, The Funhouse, The Vaudeville Stage, the Hall of Innovation – it’s all here!

Event Architect Thommy Conroy promises Maximum Fun and the maestros at Clear Story will shine their special light on our little corner of the city. So come one, come all to Liberty & Baum for The Sprout Fund’s Hothouse!

Getting There

The Sprout Fund encourages the use of public transportation and bicycles. All on-site parking will be by valet only. Street parking is limited in this area.

Valet Parking: Approach Hothouse westbound on Baum Boulevard (from South Negley Avenue). Valet drop-off is at the party entrance at Liberty Avenue & Baum Boulevard. Parking is included for VIP ticket holders; just show your ticket to the valet attendant. Parking is $10 for all others.

Public Transportation: Don Allen Auto City and its vicinity are easily accessible by many Port Authority bus lines. Busses with nearby stops include 64, 71A, 77A, 77B, 81B, and 86.

Bicycle: Pedal your way to Hothouse and leave your ride with Bike Pittsburgh’s complimentary bike valet!

Music & Entertainment

With multiple stages indoors and out, Hothouse will be a night of great local music and dancing with the entertainment provided by virtuoso soloists, daring DJs, classic cabaret acts, and extraordinary combos featuring Slim Cessna & Friends, The Working Poor, Buscrates, and Expensive Shit. The bands and DJs won’t stop early – hear DJ Equestrian, Raw Blow, Spoilers (Lauren G + Nikkels), Joy Toujours and the Toys du Jour, or Black Forest/Black Sea in the 3 performance areas throughout the evening.

And it’s not just music that keeps Hothouse guests enthralled – check out Miss Sharon Needles and Company, the Daring Douglasses, and The Some Kinda Circus Project for variety with a vaudeville flair.

After midnight, slide on over to the Shadow Lounge (5972 Baum Blvd in East Liberty) where TITLE TOWN will just be heating up. DJs J. Malls + Gordy G. will be spinning rare 45’s from Pittsburgh’s funk and soul past at the official after-Hothouse destination. $5 at the door/18+. More info at titletownpgh.com.

Arcade of Innovative Projects

Like any respectable county fair, Hothouse proudly exhibits its local talent and ingenuity with a showcase of projects supported by The Sprout Fund programs including Seed Award, Public Art, and Spark.

Try your hand at carnival games in project-themed booths presented by BRICKS for Young Adults, Here You Go, and CommuniTeach. Or get into the action with participatory fun provided by Obscure Games as a part of the Steel City Games Fest.

Delight with some downhome local country pie and ice cream at the Qtpi(e) diner. And don’t miss more eats at Conflict Kitchen where cultures clash over fresh food and counterintelligence.

See what Pittsburgh’s greenthumbs are cultivating with the Pittsburgh Food Forest and Healcrest Urban Farms’ Rootz of Farming. Find more ecological amor with Love Your Watershed from the Nine Mile Run Watershed Association.

Enjoy live performances by small stage sensations Pittsburgh Public Action Communitarian Theater and The Zombie Opera singers.

Turn the corner at Public Record’s intersection to hear about hexes with the Transformazium, and then witness the splendor of Pittsburgh’s hills and valleys with the Pittsburgh Gigapanorama.

Embrace your inner child and dive into character with The Toonseum’s classic cartooning participatory animations, get your hands on some gizmos and learn how things work with Curious Creatures mini-mechanical wonders, and put your human energy to work with RePlayMyPlay’s power-generating seesaw and help us keep the lights on!

These are but a few of the more than twenty projects and programs on display in the Arcade and Hall of Innovation. Don’t miss this one-of-a-kind survey of Pittsburgh’s best and brightest ideas in action.

Fun Food & Drink

Dine on the delectable wares and imbibe of award winning libations provided by some of Pittsburgh’s favorite restaurants, cafes, bakeries, and breweries including VIP food service by Parkhurst Dining.

Guests will find a veritable smorgasbord in the Qunicy Market Food & Drink pavilion at Hothouse including selections from Alexander’s Italian Bistro, Benkovitz Seafoods, Bluecoat, American Dry Gin, Doubletree Pittsburgh Monroeville Convention Center, Dozen Bake Shop, East End Food Co-op, Gypsy Café, J’eet, Mon Aimee Chocolat, Right By Nature, Seviche, Vanilla Pastry Studio, Whole Foods Market Pittsburgh, and Zeke’s Coffee.

Meanwhile, libations from The Pennsylvania Brewing Company, Boyd & Blair Potato Vodka, and Bluecoat, Dry American Gin will keep the the fair festive while PurBlu Beverage’s GIVE Water & Energy will provide cool refreshments all around.

Bountiful Silent Auction

Not your average Famer’s Market, the Hothouse silent auction presents a diverse selection of perennial favorites such as a Private Box at PNC Park courtesy of Oxford Development, a basket of brews from The Sharp Edge, a guided tour of the Society for Contemporary Craft, and a one week stay at Aves del Paraiso, a private villa on Mexico’s Gold Coast.

Whether edibles or original art objects, exciting items range from hip handmade apparel by The Cotton Factory to a basket of suds from The Sharp Edge, from a cornucopia of music from WYEP to a full year Port Authority Transit pass, from Glass Center workshops to baking lessons at Enrico Biscotti

Note to Guests

Please bring a valid photo ID displaying your date of birth for age verification. All food and beverages at this event are complimentary. Wear sensible shoes. Certain event areas may have limited handicapped accessibility. Contact The Sprout Fund at (412) 325-0646 regarding accessibility questions.