Events

Phipps Conservatory’s Summer Flower Show – Monet in Bloom

Whenever Phipps Conservatory features a famous painter as the focal point for a flower show, you know you're going to be in for a good time.

2022's Summer Flower Show does just that with its theme “Monet in Bloom” and features floral recreations of some of the master's top works (next to copies of the paintings themselves for reference), quotes from the artist, themed sound elements, and more!

As with all of our museum posts, we do not like to give away every exhibit. In this one, we're only going to share a few of our favorite rooms and encourage you to visit to see the rest!

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The Best Places to View Pittsburgh Fireworks

Fireworks from Mount Washington

For reasons unknown to us, Pittsburgh is crazy about fireworks.

Fourth of July? Massive fireworks. Randomly scheduled nights during Pirates games? Fireworks. When the Pirates get a home run? Mini-fireworks. A mega-band playing at Heinz Field? There will probably be some fireworks. A celebration to welcome winter and the Christmas season? It's freezing outside, but sure, let's have some fireworks anyway.

If you are wanting to check out these festivities, Pittsburgh will give you a chance to see some good shows roughly ten times per year (give or take based on the Pirates schedule). The only question from there is where you must be in order to have the best view. After exploring the city for several years, we have come up with a list of our favorite spots.

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Phipps Conservatory’s Spring Flower Show – Sunshine and Rainbows

As the cold of winter begins to leave Pittsburgh, there is one thing we always look forward to in order to ring in the start of spring – Phipps Conservatory's Spring Flower Show!

2022's Spring Flower Show has the theme “Sunshine and Rainbows” and highlights the colors of the rainbow- making this one an incredibly vibrant show!

We visited this one shortly after the show opened and wanted to share some of our favorite rooms and exhibits with you today. As with all of our museum posts, we're only sharing a selection of our favorites because you truly must visit for yourself to experience it all!

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Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre’s The Nutcracker – a Holiday Treat

The Nutcracker is a classic ballet that is a Christmas tradition for many. With familiar music, hundreds of colorful and dramatic costumes, and a story full of wonder, it's easy to see why this ballet keeps people returning to performances year after year.

The Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre has been performing The Nutcracker for decades, and yet each year there are new twists to enjoy.

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Phipps Conservatory’s Winter Flower Show – Holiday Magic

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 after 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 2021-2022 flower show is themed Holiday Magic and features numerous decorated trees as well as all of the gorgeous flowers we've come to love from the conservatory.

As members of the conservatory, we got the chance to visit this one in the 2021-2022 season and wanted to share a few of our favorite rooms here!

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Oglebay’s Festival of Lights is Worth the Drive to West Virginia

When it comes to Christmas lights near Pittsburgh, one spot comes up as a must-see again, and again, and again- Oglebay's Festival of Lights near Wheeling, West Virginia.

For many years, we had never visited this resort for their holiday display as we generally keep all our exploration of the Pittsburgh metro area confined to within Pennsylvania proper. But due to the popularity of this holiday event, especially within the Pittsburgh marketplace, we made an exception for this gem.

So one chilly early December evening we hopped in our car, made the 75-minute drive to Oglebay, and checked out the Festival of Lights in all its glory!

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Krampus Fest in Market Square Celebrates Central European Tradition

Krampusnacht is part of holiday folklore in many central and eastern European countries where the horned creature known as Krampus punishes bad children on the night of December 5th (the night before the Feast of St. Nicholas). In some stories, he slaps bad children with birch branches, and in other, more extreme iterations, he may abduct them via a sack on his back to eat them (or engage in other torturous activities). 

In many cases, Krampus appears along with Saint Nicholas (who is dressed in bishop vestments) who rewards children who behaved well throughout the year. 

In modern times, Krampusnacht has become a celebratory festival where Krampus appears in town squares and holiday markets for entertainment purposes, and Pittsburgh gets into the fun with its own Krampusnacht festivities, aptly named Krampus Fest, in Market Square!

Note: The following article is based on my visit to Krampusnacht in 2021 which may have had some variations in setup due to COVID protocols. We cannot guarantee this will be the same format in future years. Keep in mind that while Krampusnacht is officially on December 5th, the city sometimes changes the date if other events are going on at the same time (read: Steelers games).

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5 Great Activities to Enjoy Christmas in Westmoreland County

This article was sponsored by Westmoreland Heritage.

Southwest Pennsylvania truly comes alive during the holiday season, and no matter where you look there are a number of great Christmas and seasonal activities to enjoy.

This is especially true in Westmoreland County, one of three counties in the Laurel Highlands, as they are home to some wonderful events ranging from the popular Christmas village Overly's Country Christmas, concerts at the Westmoreland Symphony, and more.

So in this one, we thought it'd be fun to share all the great ways to enjoy Christmas in Westmoreland County!

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The Tipsy Elf is a Different Kind of Holiday Pop-Up Bar

The Tipsy Elf opened next to Hough's Taproom during Christmas 2021 as a ticketed pop-up bar experience with mulled wine, cocktails, holiday games, and more.

As we are always on the lookout for the best Christmas popup bars in Pittsburgh, you know we had to check this one out. As it so happens, we were invited to this event by the folks at Hidden Pittsburgh for a media night and couldn't pass up on the opportunity.

As ticketed pop-up bars are a different kind of bar experience, we thought we'd share a bit about what the pop-up was like and then dive into the ticketing aspect of it more to share what you get for the entry fee.

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40 Places to Buy Christmas Trees in Pittsburgh

Nothing beats a fresh Christmas tree in your house every holiday season. There is something about going out, picking out a tree, and setting it up in your home that makes us know that Christmas is here (oh, and the smells- you cannot beat the smell of a fresh cut tree).

Thankfully, the market for Christmas trees in Pittsburgh is huge and there are dozens upon dozens of farms and tree sellers all over the metro area.

In this guide, we wanted to share a roundup of every place to buy either pre-cut or cut-your-own Pittsburgh Christmas in the city and greater metro area. This guide is organized by region including within the city limits as well as north, south, east, and west of the city proper. Within each subsection, farms and businesses are organized by proximity to the city from closest to furthest away (at our best estimate, at least).

Notes: We have not visited many of the farms featured in this guide partly because we always purchase a tree as close to our house as possible to minimize driving times. We recommend re-confirming offerings (tree types, pre-cut, cut-your-own, etc), hours, and pricing (plus if cash only) prior to visiting any of the businesses listed below as things change rapidly when it comes to Christmas trees. 

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