We love a good holiday market, and there are no shortage of great experiences to check out during the holiday season.
So in this one, we thought we'd share some of our favorite Christmas markets in Pittsburgh (and other holiday shopping events) you may want to check out!
Wise County Biscuits & Cafe is a breakfast and lunch spot serving up their delicious homemade biscuits, breakfast sandwiches, and more in their adorable North Side cafe.
We have long been fans of their biscuits and are regular customers at their farmer's market booths, so we are ecstatic that they now have a brick-and-mortar shop where we can continue to get our biscuit fix all year long!
We are quite fortunate enough to have several major ski resorts right in our backyard- Seven Springs, Hidden Valley, and Laurel Mountain.
These Laurel Highlands gems have been our go-to spot for winter skiing each year. But at the end of 2021, these properties were sold to Vail Resorts to become part of the larger global brand of ski resorts.
With the merger came access to Vail Resort's incredible Epic Pass, a season pass valid at most all Vail Resorts properties with little restriction.
We were fortunate enough to get our hands on this pass for a few seasons courtesy of Vail Resorts and wanted to share a bit more about our experience in this one!
Note: Epic Pass sales are typically only available prior to the start of the season. In 2023, Epic Pass sales will end on December 3rd. After that, only individual lift tickets will be available.
When it comes to holiday festivities, one of the best places in Pittsburgh to visit is Phipps Conservatory. Their winter flower show, which begins the Friday before Thanksgiving and runs until early January, is a celebration of the holiday season with festive art pieces, an array of gorgeous winter flowers, and some of the most beautifully decorated Christmas trees in Pittsburgh.
The 2023-2024 flower show is themed Holiday Magic and takes an elegant look at all things Christmas. With traditional decorations and subtle design elements, this one is simply beautiful.
As members of the conservatory, we got the chance to visit this one on opening weekend this season (running until January 7th, 2024) and wanted to share a few of our favorite rooms here!
Note: The outdoor garden shots were from a previous show while indoor shots were from the 2023-2024 show. As such, there may be some differences outside when you visit this year.
Being located in Zones 6 to 7a, Pittsburgh has an interesting climate.
The warm, often humid climate in the summer presents great growing conditions for numerous plants, but the cold winters with periodic deep freezes can be quite challenging for non-cold hardy plants to make it through.
So, while you may be used to growing common fruits like apples, berries, peaches, and more, there are actually a ton of fruits that could grow in Pittsburgh that you may not know about.
In this one, we thought we'd share some of the more unique fruits we've found that can thrive in our climate, plus give some tips we've found from our own trees for special considerations to keep in mind (when applicable).
Notes: We presently are growing (or plan on growing) most all of the fruits listed in this article. However, all of our plants are still young and not quite producing just yet. As such, first-hand maintenance information may be limited until our plants grow more. Likewise, only specific varieties of any given species may grow in our area (e.g. brown turkey figs and not mission figs). This will be a recurring theme, but always check growing zone ratings before purchasing any plants- especially if you want to plant them outside permanently.
Lilith is the newest venture from Pittsburgh Chefs Jamilka Borges and Dianne DeStefano. Located in Shadyside, this cozy little spot is allowing them to showcase their talent and creativity in very delicious ways. Our recent visit for dinner had us savoring the satisfying and interesting flavor combinations of their entrees, and left us wanting to return immediately.
In short, this is honest-to-goodness delicious food that's also beautifully plated, served up in a delightful dining space.
Ritual House is an upscale modern American restaurant in the Union Trust building in downtown Pittsburgh. On our recent visit for dinner, we had excellent service, although we were a bit let down by the food and drinks.
We thought the menu descriptions of the food and drinks didn't align with what we thought we were ordering, namely in terms of the flavors and presentation. Overall, the proteins in the dishes we ordered were cooked well, but we just thought the flavors had a recurring theme of being far too sweet.
Pittsburgh really is becoming a space city, and the molecular mixology cocktail bar, Space Bar, will help everyone explore the universe- with tasty libation in hand.
Located right in the heart of Market Square (aptly referred to as the holodeck when onboard), the cocktail lounge is the resident bar of the SS Oasis ship which travels distant worlds and services locals of the various systems visited with tasty cocktails- some familiar, some simply other-worldly.
We were fortunate enough to visit this one during its soft open in fall 2023, and share some early thoughts of what you can expect in this one!
Disclaimer: We are friends with the owners of Space Bar, provided consulting during start-up, and attended a preview event at opening. We have also purchased the cocktails discussed below outside of these instances. As always, all opinions are our own.
There are many reasons to love the holiday season in Pittsburgh, and perhaps one of the most amazing ones is your ability to see many beautiful Christmas lights all over the region.
From the holiday displays downtown, to the many drive-thru light shows, and more, there really is no shortage of impressive Christmas lights in Pittsburgh. So in this one, we wanted to curate all the best places where you can see holiday lights and decorations in the region!
Note: Many of the experiences below are drive-thru light displays such that you can enjoy the holiday lights and decorations from the comfort of your own car. However, we felt we would be doing you a disservice if we didn't mention a few other light viewing opportunities that take place outside of your car as well!
The holiday season is a wonderful time of year, and Christmas in Pittsburgh is truly a sight to behold.
But as the holiday season is as much about spreading goodwill, taking in the decorations, and the like, Pittsburgh also has another avenue for enjoying the holiday- via its libations scenes!
In fact, there are several Christmas bars in Pittsburgh to enjoy during the holiday season, ensuring that you'll have some holiday cheer from Light Up Night (or in the case of a few of the pop-ups, Black Friday) to New Years. Check them out below!
Please Note: We are featuring all of the holiday popups we are aware of in this guide, whether we have personally visited or not. As such, experiences may vary. When available, click the link to read our full review of the bars we have visited!