(Announcements)

Ethnic art, crafts and collectibles will be on sale this Saturday at Homestead's historic Pump House.

Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area will hold a spring "Heritage Market" from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the structure, located in the Waterfront shopping district. Admission is free.

The ethnic artisan market is a means for the national heritage area to support and promote the diversity and cultural history of the Pittsburgh region, says Sherris Moreira, Rivers of Steel spokeswoman.

Items on display and on sale will include Bulgarian-Macedonian pottery, Moroccan purses, Native American beadwork and Irish collectibles. Crafts representing the Pittsburgh region's more recent green heritage include pop industrial art, handcrafted jewelry and baubles made from recycled materials, among others.

The event will also include a taste exploration of our region's diverse culture with foods representing Cuba, Bulgaria-Macedonia, England and Hungary, among others. Sample soups, teas and chocolate and purchase other foods, such as homemade cookies and breads from The Rise Above Bakery and Cafe or Easter treats from White Oak-based Dorothy's Candies.

Music will be provided by Mostefa Hnadi on the doumbeck drums in the morning and in the afternoon by Joe Grkman Jr. of the award-winning Slovenian Polka band Grkmania.

The pump house was the site of a key battle between striking steelworkers and Pinkerton guards during the 1892 Homestead steel strike. Today it's a trailhead of the Great Allegheny Passage via the Steel Valley Trail. Free short-term bike rentals will be available during the heritage market, Moreira says.

For more information, call (412) 464-4060 or visit the website.