Bike shorts

The international Bicycle Film Festival is in its ninth year, but it makes its first visit to Pittsburgh this weekend, with screenings at the Andy Warhol Museum, thanks to Urban Velo and BikePGH.

The festival consists of short films -- bike shorts! -- by professionals and amateurs. There also are two main entries: "Made in Queens" tells the story of New York City youths from Trinidad who attach 15,000-watt stereo systems to their bicycles. And "Where Are You Go" documents a bicycle ride across Africa -- from Cairo to Cape Town.

The Bicycle Film Festival comes with parties, too. Cyclists will gather tonight at Over the Bar Bicycle Cafe for indoor bicycle roller racing. Friday night's BFF after party will bring hundreds of cyclists together at the South Side Brew House for a night of art, music and dancing.

How did we get the festival here?

"Lots of hard work brought it here," says Brad Quartuccio of Urban Velo. "Rising tides lift all boats. As Pittsburgh has been put on the bike and arts map at a national level the city has accumulated the 'political capital' to bring events like the Bicycle Film Festival to town. Jeff and I [partners in Urban Velo] have each gone to the festival in the past and we're excited to see the reception to it in other cities -- bringing it here for our friends has been a long-term goal."

Here is the schedule:

• Tonight
• 7 p.m.: Program 1 -- Bike Shorts
• 9 p.m.: Black & Gold Sprints at Over the Bar Bicycle Cafe, 2518 E. Carson St.
• 
  Friday
• 6 p.m.: "Where Are You Go"
• 8 p.m.: Urban Bike Shorts
• 8 p.m.: After party at the Brew House, 2100 Mary St., South Side.

Go to www.bicyclefilmfestival.com for details.

'Map' quest

"Map of Everything" sounds pretty inclusive. Check it out when this exhibition of work by Seattle artist Sheila Klein opens from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday at the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts, 6300 Fifth Ave., Shadyside ($5 suggested donation, 412-361-0873). Klein, a Pittsburgh native, will return later in the year to create a permanent installation for a pedestrian bridge that will connect Shadyside and East Liberty.

-- Mary Thomas

Worldbeat Frick

The nearly free First Fridays at the Frick concert series continues this weekend with jazz-inflected, worldbeat percussionist Babatunde Lea, whose music was described by Jazz Times as "a wonderful tapestry of richly woven textures held together by the woof and warp of drums and percussion."

"I contend that polyrhythms are a metaphor for universal culture," Lea told allaboutjazz.com. "Polyrhythms are connected. So are we as human beings. We just don't fully realize it because it needs to be taught, just like one needs to be taught rhythms by a master drummer. I strive to make my compositions functional, which is an African take on the arts."

The show is at 7 p.m. Suggested donation is $5. Children are free.

Symphony Fourth

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra used to be a centerpiece of the Independence Day festivities at Point State Park. But the PSO has not played on our Nation's Birthday anywhere since 2005.

This July 4, the PSO ends its holiday hiatus when it plays an Independence Day concert at Hartwood Acres at 8 p.m. All's well that ends well, since the PSO has played Hartwood for years and many in and out of the orchestra think it is a better fit for the orchestra than Point State Park.

PSO resident conductor Daniel Meyer conducts the free concert, which features cellist Adam Liu soloing in Victor Herbert's Cello Concerto No. 2. Also on the program are Ludwig van Beethoven's lesser-known (relatively speaking, for him) Overture to "The Creatures of Prometheus," Aaron Copland's "Variations on a Shaker Melody from 'Appalachian Spring,'" Charles Ives' "Variations on America" and patriotic songs.

Oh, and Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky's spectacular "1812 Overture." That's one reason alone you need an orchestra playing on the Fourth.

-- Andrew Druckenbrod, PG classical music critic

Yart!

We're all well aware of the yard sale.

But what about the Yart Sale?

Pittsburgh Filmmakers and the Pittsburgh Center for the Arts join forces for an outdoor sale at the PCA with more than 30 artists offering original works, prints, decorative arts, art books, art supplies, equipment for art making, and some collectibles. There also will be members producing new ceramic pieces for purchase to help defray the costs of kiln repairs.

That's not all. The PCA's department of School and Community Programs will hold a bake sale, with all proceeds benefiting teaching artists.

Admission and parking are free. It's at 6300 Fifth Ave., Shadyside, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call 412-361-0873.

Acid Tongued

Jenny Lewis, best known as the frontwoman for indie-pop darlings Rilo Kiley, but also a former child actress, returns on a solo run to Mr. Small's on Sunday.

Lewis is touring on her second album "Acid Tongue," which prompted Rolling Stone to call her "indie rock's most sharp-elbowed songwriter, a crafter of taut meditations on love, sex and politics."

Lewis arrives having played this summer at both Coachella and Bonnaroo. Opening the show at 8 p.m. will be the Heartless Bastards. Tickets are $19.50. Call 1-866-468-3401.

Guitar prodigy

Tyler Bryant, a 17-year-old guitar prodigy originally from Texas and now working out of Nashville, will play at the Three Rivers Regatta at 4:30 p.m. Sunday (opening for country star Steve Azar) and then head over to the Thunderbird Cafe in Lawrenceville for an 8 p.m. show with 28 North.

Bryant has won the Robert Johnson Blues Foundation New Generation Award and performed at Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival in Chicago. He is currently working on his debut record.

Tickets for the Thunderbird are $8-$10. Call 1-800-745-3000.

Ford City days

The Ford City Area Heritage Days runs through Sunday with ethnic foods, crafts, carnival rides, children's activities and, on Saturday at 8:30 p.m., music by the Corbin Hanner Band followed by 10 p.m. fireworks. Admission is free. Go to www.fordcityheritagedays.com.