Signature Projects & Events

Pittsburgh 250 is supporting the completion of three grand openings that connect our past to our future, and will improve our quality of life for future generations:

PENNSYLVANIA'S FORBES TRAIL Publication of Pennsylvania’s Forbes Trail: Gateways and Getaways along the Legendary Route from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, the beautifully illustrated new guide to history, travel, outdoor adventure and family fun along the statewide trail. The 1758 Forbes Campaign was a turning point in the French and Indian War. After capturing French Fort Duquesne, British General John Forbes named the area Pittsburgh on November 25, 1758. More Information

GREAT ALLEGHENY PASSAGE Completion of the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP), a 132-mile hiking and bicycling trail from Pittsburgh to Cumberland, Md. The GAP connects with the C&O Canal Towpath, creating a continuous trail from Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C. Much of the trail parallels the route travelled by George Washington, British General Edward Braddock and others used during the French and Indian War. The GAP and the Forbes Trail converge at Point State Park. More Information

TRANSFORMATION OF POINT STATE PARK Renovation of Point State Park, Pittsburgh’s downtown centerpiece, through a multi-phased series of improvements that will enhance the beauty, accessibility and historic interpretation of the park, as well as upgrade its infrastructure. Located at the historic “Forks of the Ohio” – the convergence of the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio rivers –Point State Park is the former site of two French and Indian War-era forts, Fort Duquesne and Fort Pitt. Visitors to the park can see new tracery outlines of the forts, tour the Fort Pitt Museum and enjoy the refurbished green space during various outdoor festivals, concerts and events. More Information

Events include:

June 24-29, 2008
American Eagle Outfitters^® Tour of Pennsylvania presented by Highmark Healthy High 5^®

This stage bike race for elite riders aged 18-24 covers 450-miles from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh (following the Forbes Trail). It will feature free health and wellness festivals along the route, encouraging families to get outside, get active and experience the wealth of attractions and activities across Pennsylvania.

The race highlights the Forbes Trail and celebrates the release of the publication of Pennsylvania’s Forbes Trail: Gateways and Getaways along the Legendary Route from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh that showcases the important role Pennsylvania played in the American history before the Revolution.

More Information

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October 4, 2008
The PNC Legacy Trail Ride

Day-long festivities for the entire community celebrating the completion of the Great Allegheny Passage and the grand opening of Point State Park will invite families and children to join in the ride to from Mount Vernon, Va. to Pittsburgh, on the path considered to be one of the premier hiking and biking trails in the nation and the most accessible great trail experience in the world.

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October 11-November 16, 2008
Pittsburgh Celebrates 250: A Festival of Lights and Music

Celebrating our region’s history of innovation, this multi-week festival will feature works of art projected on the facades of building across Downtown Pittsburgh and Oakland, as well as a series of world premieres in arts and culture. These include the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Festival of Firsts, the renowned Carnegie International exhibition and a new Innovators exhibit at the Senator John Heinz History Center.

What People Are Saying

Engaged Leadership: Paving the Way by Closing the GAP

“American Bridge has been building bridges and other complex structures all over the world for more than 100 years. But when we heard about the local race against time to complete the unfinished portion of the Great Allegheny Passage (GAP) trail – a project 30 years in the making – by the end of 2008, we saw an opportunity. Overcoming the engineering challenges that had stalled the process, principally the number of active rail lines across the Mon Valley, was an opportunity to play an important role in building another kind of bridge. We’re connecting the rest of the country to the doorstep of the Pittsburgh region, and directly impacting the quality of life in our own backyard.”

- Robert Luffy, President & Chief Executive Officer
American Bridge Company

“With so many regional partners having stepped up and dug in, literally, to speed up the timeline for Closing the GAP, it has been a one-of-a-kind effort. We worked with private and public sector partners to not only finish the trail on time, but to do so in a high-quality, strategic way that ensures that the trail will serve southwestern Pennsylvania for generations to come. It hasn’t been easy, but with so many leaders pitching in – from Closing the GAP committee co-chairs Allegheny County Chief Executive Dan Onorato and John P. Surma, CEO of U.S. Steel (who remediated the company’s large underground plant line to accommodate the best trail alignment), to the original leadership of past Conference Chair Chuck Queenan and pro bono legal work from Mark Nowak of Thorp Reed & Armstrong, LLP – it was easy to get behind the momentum with a ‘can-do’ approach to make it happen. I’m proud to be a part of such a historic regional effort.”

- Clifford R. Rowe, Jr., Chief Executive Officer
P.J. Dick, Inc.

Engaged Leadership: Turning the Wellness Wheel

Pittsburgh 250 is not just a celebration of the past, it’s a call to action to prepare for the future. And one of the best ways each of us can help to ensure a bright future is to engage in a healthy, active lifestyle.

The American Eagle Outfitters Tour of Pennsylvania, Presented by Highmark Healthy High 5® will inspire young people throughout our region and across the Commonwealth to get in gear with a new professional cycling stage race across 450-miles of Pennsylvania’s rolling hills and city streets.

Highmark Foundation’s sponsorship of the Tour of Pennsylvania, and our support for 250 and Fit – the health and wellness platform of Pittsburgh 250 – is grounded in a commitment to promoting healthy behaviors in children in our region and throughout the Commonwealth. Taking advantage of opportunities to be active – including riding a bike – is an important component of the Highmark Healthy High 5 initiative.

During the Tour of Pennsylvania, Highmark Healthy High 5 Finish Line Festivals at stage finishes throughout the state will focus on families and promote active living and healthy eating through various hands-on activities. The Tour of PA complements and reinforces the wellness message of Highmark Healthy High 5 – a five-year, $100 million initiative designed to promote healthy behaviors in children age six to 18.

Please help us and help your own organization by encouraging colleagues, customers and employees and their families to cheer on these young competitors from around the world; visit the Finish Line Festivals; and find out that living an active, healthy lifestyle can be fun.

- Kenneth R. Melani, M.D., President and Chief Executive Officer, Highmark Inc.

ImaginePittsburgh.com