Light Up Night guide: Kick off the holiday fun Downtown on Nov. 22 and 23

Photo above courtesy of Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership. 

The holiday season begins in Downtown Pittsburgh on Nov. 22 and 23 with a weekend full of Light Up Night festivities and the opening of the People’s Gas Holiday Market and the skating rink at PPG Place.

This year marks the 63rd anniversary of Highmark Light Up Night, where you’ll find fireworks, karaoke, KidsPlay activities and a performance by the multi-platinum alt rock band The Fray.

Check out the guide below for all the details about Pittsburgh’s merriest celebration.

FRIDAY, NOV. 22

The Peoples Gas Holiday Market grand opening happens on Friday, Nov. 22, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Families can begin their holiday shopping while listening to live music from the Sounds of the Season Stage, where local performers will play holiday classics and contemporary covers, along with a wide range of holiday tunes from around the world reflecting African, Latin American, and European influences.

You’ll also find food vendors and drinks, including hot mugs of holiday glühwein. Opening night visitors can take home limited-edition souvenir ornaments (free, with a suggested $20 donation).

Merry Karaoke, hosted by our friends at YaJagoff! Media, will be happening on Friday at the Market from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., with prizes including restaurant gift cards worth up to $500.

View the full opening day schedule right here.

The Holiday Market will run through Dec. 24.

SATURDAY, NOV. 23

Family Fun 

The Highmark Holiday Block Party begins at 4 p.m. at Penn Ave and Stanwix Street. Warm up by the fire pits or on the light-up dance floor, where the “silent disco” will be happening. Or visit the Harris Theater at 3:30 and 4:35 p.m. to watch All-Ages Short Films from Pittsburgh Film Festival. At the Pirates Mini-Fest kids can meet the Pirates Parrot, enjoy holiday-themed face painting, balloon artists stations, inflatables, backyard games and prizes and even check out the Pierogi Races.

Nearby, you can grab a free Coke Zero and snap a photo with the Coca Cola Santa (and get a limited-edition Coca Cola polar bear – while supplies last). And inside Fifth Avenue Place, you’ll find the Fifth Avenue FREEZE. Check out ice carvings including a snowman, Christmas tree, Snoopy, a snowflake and Rudolph, and see a live ice carving show by award-winning master ice carver Rich Bubin of Ice Creations.

Indoors at 600 Liberty Ave., you’ll find Holiday KidsPlay, where activities include decorating a Mister Rogers sweater ornament with messages of thanks, making your own ornament, visiting with Pittsburgh Pirates mascots, playing giant games, and story time, plus a range of other hands-on fun. Created in partnership with Fred Rogers Productions and the Pittsburgh Pirates, Holiday KidsPlay will be open through the holiday season on Saturdays and Sundays (Nov. 23 – Dec. 23) and on Friday, Nov. 29.

At Heinz Hall Courtyard, you’ll find the Selfie Garden (open through Dec. 23) with life-size cut-outs of characters and scenes from Fred Rogers Productions. And check out the 22nd annual Gingerbread House Competition Display in the lobby of the City-County Building.

New this year, Tech25 is programming Smithfield United Church and Strawberry Way from 5:30 – 9 p.m. to celebrate the church’s historical role as a community hub. The evening will feature projection mapping art, an organ recital, youth sports tournaments, a workforce resource fair, and outreach programs focused on anti-violence.

Music
The Highmark Main Stage opens at 4 p.m. with Meeting of Important People, followed by Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers at 6 p.m., and Hugo Cruz & The Caminos afterwards.

At the Xfinity Riverside Stage, DJ Arie Cole will be spinning tracks for the “5 at 5” Happy Hour on the 6th Street Bridge from 4 – 6 p.m., followed by The Buckle Downs at 6:30 p.m. Multi-platinum headline act The Fray will take the stage at 8:30 p.m. before the Supersized Zambelli Fireworks Grand Finale.

And in Market Square, live music begins at 11:30 a.m. and runs all day on the Sounds of the Season Stage. Acts include Megan Paullet Duo, Mark Ferarri Duo, Hot Metal and the Sounds of Chorus Pittsburgh.

The full schedule of Light Up Night performers isn’t posted yet, but it will be made available at downtownpittsburgh.com/holidays.Tree Lightings, Bridge Lighting & Fireworks
A dramatic new light display and holiday experience called Aurora: Illuminating the Holiday Magic of Mellon Square opens on Light Up Night this year and runs through mid-January. Designed by Pittsburgh-based artist Joshua Challen Ice, Aurora features hundreds of diamond-shaped panels, which change color as they catch the breeze or respond to touch. These panels form a flowing ribbon that arcs above the park, creating archways that visitors can walk beneath as it weaves through trees and gathering spaces, reaching more than 25 feet high at its peak.

And don’t miss these Light Up Night moments:

5 p.m. | City-County Building: Tree Lighting with Zambelli Rooftop Fireworks
The City of Pittsburgh’s 109th Official Tree is a 40-foot blue spruce from Springdale, decorated with hundreds of oversized ornaments, many bearing the name of city neighborhoods.

6 p.m. | PPG Plaza: UPMC Ultimate Holiday Tree Lighting and American Cancer Society Tribute of Light Celebration
This high-tech holiday tree (more than 66 feet tall!) with 100,000 lights performs light shows choreographed to music, displaying animation and holiday scenes.

7 p.m. | Stanwix St. & Penn Ave: Highmark Christmas Tree Lighting with Zambelli Rooftop Fireworks
This “tree,” is over 100 feet tall and adorns the corner of the former Horne’s department store with more than 2,500 eco-friendly LED lights and 2,000 ornaments.

8 p.m. | “The Three Sisters:” Lighting of the Sister Bridges
Roberto Clemente (Sixth Street), Andy Warhol (Seventh Street), and Rachel Carson (Ninth Street) Bridges
This winter the County is unveiling a light show illuminating Pittsburgh’s Sister Bridges. Created by artists Marques Redd and Mikael Owunna, the installation draws inspiration from indigenous cultures of North and Central America, with each bridge representing a ‘sister’ goddess and staple crop. The display debuts on Light Up Night and will run through Dec. 31.

9:30 p.m. | Xfinity Fireworks Spectacular with Supersized Zambelli Finale
Following a performance by The Fray, the night will end with a supersized Grand Finale display by the first family of pyrotechnics, Zambelli Fireworks.

Blast! VIP Party: 6:30 – 9:30 PM
The BLAST! VIP Party will once again provide an oasis for ticket holders with signature cocktails, hearty appetizers, and special desserts while they relax and regroup right across from the hustle and bustle of one of Downtown’s busiest nights of the year. This year’s BLAST! Party will be held at Two Gateway Center. Tickets will go on sale at downtownpittsburgh.com/holidays.

And coming up later this month:

Santa’s House, Nov. 29 – Dec. 23
Santa returns to his cozy house in Heinz Hall Courtyard. Families can choose to visit with either a Black or White Santa. Just let Santa’s helpers know which you prefer. Expanded hours will with expanded hours in the final week.

Keepsake photos with Santa
Help our neighbors in need this holiday season with a $10 suggested donation to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank and receive a free photo of your visit with Santa in a keepsake frame, as well as a downloadable file to share with friends and family. Please check DowntownPittsburgh.com/Holidays for hours and other details.

The Black Market at the Peoples Gas Holiday Market
December 5-8 and Dec. 12-15, 2024
This highly anticipated pop-up holiday shop returns for two weekends to showcase and support Black-owned businesses in Downtown Pittsburgh. This year, you can find the Black Market at the Peoples Gas Holiday Market in Market Square! Brought to you by BNY.