Sun, Fun, Food Return at International Village

Annual McKeesport event features array of food and live performances

By Adam Reinherz
The Tube City Almanac
August 13, 2025
Posted in: McKeesport and Region News

Live coverage of International Village (weather permitting) is available at YouTube

Sally and Andy Moury of White Oak enjoy stuffed cabbage and pierogies at International Village. The three-day event at McKeesport’s Renziehausen Park continues from 3 to 9 p.m. through Thursday (Aug. 14). (Adam Reinherz photo for Tube City Almanac)

McKeesport’s 65th International Village opened Aug. 12 to the delight of local eaters. Despite the scorching sun, hundreds of event-goers happily made their way through Stephen Barry Field at Renziehausen Park in pursuit of meals paying homage to Croatia, Ghana, Hawaii, Italy, Lebanon, Poland and an array of other places.

After ordering, White Oak residents Sally Moury and Andy Moury sat at a nearby table and enjoyed stuffed cabbages and pierogies.

“They’re delicious,” Sally Moury, 71, said.

Neither the dish nor the event were new to Moury, as she and her husband are longtime patrons of International Village. Founded in 1960, the three-day festival features food, music and dancing in celebration of shared traditions and heritage.

Andy Moury, 71, has frequented the event for 49 years; Sally Moury has attended even longer.

Food is a big reason why the couple keeps returning. There’s also the “atmosphere,” Sally Moury said.

International Village affords a “great chance to sit down and talk to people you normally wouldn't,” Andy Moury said.

“It brings people together,” Lorraine Shipley said. “It's a bright spot for McKeesport. It's every year, it's consistent and everyone enjoys it.”

From 5 to 9 p.m. each evening, the program features live entertainment. Along with watching the costumed dancers, Shipley said she was looking forward to another International Village staple.

“I will run into quite a few people — every year it happens,” she said. “It’s a nice experience.”

Fellow White Oak resident Monica Calandros said unexpected meetups add to the event’s charm. “In this time when there's a heaviness of sorts in the world, it's just nice to have something light and happy and joyful.”

Henry Gregory (Adam Reinherz photo for Tube City Almanac)

As music played from a nearby stage, McKeesport resident Henry Gregory, 64, described his appreciation for International Village.

“I come here every year because I enjoy the food, most of all, and the people. I just enjoy everybody — all the different people, getting together and having a good time together. It doesn't happen all the time,” he said.

McKeesport resident Katherine Wade, 25, called International Village a “cultural experience” that’s simply “fun.”

Wade hadn’t yet purchased food but already had a dish in mind: a German pretzel. “You just can’t beat a pretzel,” she said.

Grace Shelly and Katherine Wade (Adam Reinherz photo for Tube City Almanac)

Tarentum resident Grace Shelly, 25, said she was likely going to order Taiwanese or Vietnamese food. Both the dishes and the event are quite familiar.

Years ago, Shelly, a former Parade Queen, attended the festival as a student at McKeesport Area High School. “I had to come to International Village to open it on the first day with the mayor,” she said. “That was a fun experience.”

Though the McKeesport graduate no longer lives in the city, the annual program has a special ingredient that keeps bringing her back.

“The whole community gets together,” she said. “There's really nothing like this anywhere else I've seen. And I think that's what's really cool about it.”

Adam Reinherz is a Pittsburgh-based journalist. He can be reached at adam.reinherz@gmail.com. 

Originally published August 13, 2025.

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