HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
Lebo Light Night [1]
6 to 8 p.m., Thursday, November 21, Washington Road: Uptown Mt. Lebanon transforms into a holiday wonderland with music, vendors, activities and a visit from Santa.
7 to 8 p.m., Thursday, December 5 Beverly Road: Beverly Road closes for kids’ activities, Santa, Christmas carols and holiday treats! Bring a toy for Medical Rescue Team South’s Toys for Tots collection.
10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, November 30 Crowne Plaza, Pittsburgh South: Signature cocktails, lunch and more than 65 local artisans selling handmade wares.
7th Night
5:45 p.m, Saturday, December 28, South Hills JCC: traditional latkes, live DJ, dreidel tournament, inflatables, swimming and special
surprises.
Holiday Gift Bazaar, Cookie Sale & Tea Room [3]
9 a.m. to 2 p.m, Saturday, December 14, Mt. Lebanon United Methodist Church: Homemade cookies, gifts and a British Christmas Tea Room.
Holiday Bells, Mallets and Drums
7:30 p.m. and 1 p.m. (Saturday only), Friday and Saturday, December 13 and 14, Mt. Lebanon High School Fine Arts Theater: Fantastic music. Plus Santa, cookies and silent auction.
Holiday Lights [4]
Brighten your holiday with a luminaria kit from Relay for Life of Mt. Lebanon. Kits are $20 and include 10 candles, 10 bags and 10 liner bags. Participants can decorate the bags in honor or memory of a loved one, then light them at dusk December 24.
AROUND THE CITY
Friday, November 22 through February, 2020, PPG Place: Skate in Pittsburgh’s massive outdoor rink, which is two-thirds the size of a standard NHL rink.
Saturday to Sunday, December 7 to 8, Carnegie Science Center: Watch Elf on a giant screen, live theater and laser shows, themed activities and more.
Friday, November 22 through December (USX Tower Plaza, Downtown): Visit a larger-than-life-sized crèche, the world’s only authorized replica of the nativity scene in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
Nationality Room Open House [8]
Noon to 4 p.m., Sunday, December 8, Cathedral of Learning: The nationality rooms are decorated in traditional holiday style. Enjoy performances every 15 minutes.
4 to 8 p.m., Saturday, December 7, Squirrel Hill Business District: Self-paced wine tasting experience and holiday shopping.
Holidays Around the World [10]
Noon to 4 p.m., Saturday, December 14, Carnegie Museum of Natural History: Holiday-themed stations throughout the museum including crafts, traditions, food, artifacts and more from other cultures.
Old Allegheny Victorian Christmas House Tour [11]
Friday and Saturday, December 13 and 14, Calvary United Methodist Church): Visit six restored Victorian homes and the historic Calvary United Methodist Church, all decked out for the holidays.
OUT OF TOWN
Festival of Trees [12]
Friday to Sunday, November 29 to December 1, Bayfront Convention Center, Erie: Peruse a gallery of uniquely decorated trees, and enjoy local entertainment, live reindeer and Santa’s castle.
Christmas Tree Capital of the World [13]
Friday, November 29 through December, Indiana, Pa.: Pop-up holiday market, weekend festivals, It’s A Wonderful Life-inspired atmosphere and an enormous Christmas tree.
Ligonier Town-wide Open House [14]
Noon to 5 p.m., Sunday, December 8, Ligonier: Enjoy carolers, festive decorations and specials in local stores and restaurants.
Civil War Christmas [15]
Friday, November 29 through December, Gettysburg: Daily festive events and holiday-themed tours in the various historic Civil War locations around town.
SHOPPING & CRAFTS
Holiday Glass Sale [16]
Friday to Sunday, December 6 to 8, Pittsburgh Glass Center: Funky, fancy and functional glass on sale for three days only.
Avant Garde Art & Craft Show [17]
10 a.m. to 5 p.m, Saturday, December 7, 4701 Butler Street, Lawrenceville: Unique Ohio-based craft show. A portion of proceeds benefits Girls on the Run.
Handmade Arcade [18]
11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday, December 7, David L. Lawrence Convention Center: Find unique gifts at Pittsburgh’s award-winning independent craft fair.
Highland Park Pottery Tour [19]
11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, December 14 and 15, Union Project: Visit the studios of five Highland Park potters, socialize and buy local pottery!
SANTA SIGHTINGS
10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday, November 2 & Sunday, November 10, Animal Friends: Bring your pup on leash and cats and bunnies in carriers to meet Santa. $10 tickets benefit Animal Friends.
2 p.m, Sunday, December 1, Hartwood Acres County Park: Cookies and milk, crafts, carols and a visit from Santa in the historic mansion.
Santa at the Zoo [22]
Saturdays and Sundays through December 22, Pittsburgh Zoo: Have breakfast or lunch with Santa, make crafts and cookies and meet zoo animals. Preregistration required.
Santa Trolley [23]
November 29 & 30, December 1, 7, 8, 14 & 15, Pennsylvania Trolley Museum: Climb aboard a restored streetcar with the merry man himself.
LIGHT SHOWS
Overly’s Country Christmas [24]
November 22 thru December 30, Greensburg: Drive through a holiday light display and visit a Christmas village including vendors, carriage rides, entertainment and kids’ activities.
Weekends, November 22 through December 30, Kennywood Park: Two million lights, holiday choirs, lagoon light show, Santa and the tallest Christmas tree in Pennsylvania.
Lumaze [26]
November 23 through December, 31st Street Studios, Lawrenceville: Play under the twinkle of a million lights in this enormous indoor display.
Sparkle Season Lights Hike [27]
6 to 9 p.m., Tuesday, December 17, Downtown Pittsburgh: Seven-mile hike from the light exhibits downtown to the top of Mount Washington for panoramic views.
Fun Fore All [28]
November 22 through December, Fun Fore All, Cranberry: Play 36 holes of miniature golf, combined with a holiday music and light show.
GIVING BACK
Holiday Breakfast
8:15 a.m., Friday, December 13, Crowne Plaza Pittsburgh South: Coldwell Banker hosts a breakfast benefiting Make-A-Wish Greater PA and West Virginia and Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Banks. 412-901-6808
Family Volunteer Day [29]
Saturdays, November 23, December 7 and 14, Global Links: Families can volunteer to help prepare and sort medical supplies to send to areas affected by natural disasters. Reregistration required.
Toy Donations
Now through December 16, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh: Search for “UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Child Life” on www.myregistry.com [30] to send toys to kids who will be spending their holiday at the hospital.
Salvation Army Christmas Dinner [31]
Wednesday, December 25, various locations: Help the Salvation Army serve more than 2,000 families Christmas Day dinners at hotel locations throughout Pittsburgh.
Mitzvah Day [32]
Wednesday, December 25, various locations: The Jewish Federation Volunteer Center organizes a day of service all over the city.
ENTERTAINMENT
The Nutcracker [33]
December 6 to 29, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre: Dozens of dancers, 150 costumes and Tchaikovsky’s classic score set in turn-of-the-century Pittsburgh.
Handel’s Messiah [34]
8 p.m., Saturday, December 7, Heinz Hall: Hear Handel’s prolific oratorio performed by one of our nation’s finest orchestras.
A Christmas Story [35]
10 a.m., Saturday and Sunday, December 7 and 8, Hollywood Theater: Take the whole family to see this Christmas classic on the silver screen.
7:30 p.m., Tuesday, December 3, Upper St. Clair High School: Carols, holiday film music, regional choirs and special surprises!
3:30 and 8 p.m., Sunday, December 22, PPG Paints Arena: Rock opera-style holiday favorites complete with dazzling lights and pyrotechnics.
7:30 p.m., Friday December 6, Westminster Presbyterian Church, Upper St. Clair: A rollicking, pastoral program including Corelli’s Christmas Concerto.
A Musical Christmas Carol [39]
December 6-8, 14-15, 20-22, Byham Theater: Dickens’ classic holiday tale presented live on stage, with recognizable yuletide melodies.
Yinzer Yuletide [40]
December 12 to 22, O’Reilly Theater: WQED’s Rick Sebak hosts an hour-long variety show about the holidays in Pittsburgh.
Brown Bag Concert [41]
2 p.m., Saturday, December 14, Pittsburgh Opera Headquarters: Bring lunch and a friend to this free holiday concert presented by Pittsburgh Opera’s resident artists.
NEW YEAR’S CELEBRATIONS
Noon Year’s Eve [42]
11 a.m., Tuesday, December 31, Mt. Lebanon Public Library: Celebrate 2019 12 hours early with family-friendly activities, songs, crafts and something bubbly when the clock strikes noon.
First Night
6 p.m. to Midnight, Tuesday, December 31, Cultural District: Enjoy a 14-block celebration including live music, dance, theater, magic, fireworks and the raising of the Future of Pittsburgh Ball.
Hogmanay [43]
Sunday, December 1, Oliver Miller Homestead, South Park: Scottish New Year’s Eve celebration features haggis, highland games and Scottish dancers.
Zoo New Year’s [22]
11 a.m., Tuesday, December 31, Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium: Count down to a noon ball-drop, sign the Res-Zoo-lution and enjoy live entertainment.
Blues Bash [44]
7 p.m., Tuesday, December 31, Doubletree Hotel, Moon Township: The Blues Society of Western Pennsylvania presents award-winning blues artists, buffet dinner and five-hour open bar.
2020 ENJOY COUPON BOOK
Give the gift of savings! Get your coupon book for $30 from the Mt. Lebanon Recreation Department. Deep discounts on local activities, restaurants and shopping. 412-343-3409