Events

Dazzling Nights at the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden is a Premium Holiday Treat

In 2022, the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden near Oakdale announced they were hosting a new holiday light experience, aptly named Dazzling Nights, which transformed 65 acres of the property into a gorgeous walkthrough experience.

We, naturally, were quite excited about this one as walk-through Christmas lights in Pittsburgh are few and far between, and hit this one shortly after it opened in November.

While this one comes at a significant premium over just about every other holiday experience in the city, we have to admit, we had quite a good time here all the same!

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Petersen Events Center Concerts – Is The Venue Worth It?

When it comes to concerts in Pittsburgh, many venues have regular shows throughout the year. Some spots, like the Petersen Events Center, host concerts less frequently as this particular venue is primarily used for Pitt basketball games first and foremost.

But clocking in at about 12,000 seats, the Petersen Events Center is a serious stadium (roughly 2/3 the size of PPG Paints Arena) and does attract star talent periodically. While stadium performances are not typically our favorite, we have to admit we loved our show at this particular spot (Billy Strings) and have some thoughts on where to sit, what to consider before visiting, and what to avoid!

So if you plan to attend a concert at the Petersen Events Center soon, keep these tips in mind!

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20 Venues to Check Out Great Concerts in Pittsburgh

There was a time in the not-so-distant past that if you brought up the Pittsburgh music scene, odds are good the response you'd get from others was “it is terrible, [city] is better”. 

For a while, we thought that too.

But in recent years, the popularity of live music in Pittsburgh has really exploded both for bands that make stops into the city and for our music venues outright. So in this one, we thought we'd round up some of the best Pittsburgh concert venues, what you can expect when visiting, and more!

We've also decided to arrange this one by capacity (from smallest to largest, roughly), just for fun. As with everything on this site, this list only features venues we've personally visited. As we take in more shows in the area, we'll update this guide accordingly!

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Kennywood Bites and Pints Offers an Array of Food & Drinks

Kennywood's Bites and Pints event is a fun, month-long celebration of all things food and beverage that typically runs from the end of May through June. 

As this one runs from Thursdays to Sundays during regular park hours (starting in the afternoon each day), guests can enjoy a la carte purchases or sample their way around the various stations using an aptly named Bites Card.

We were able to visit this one during a pass holder preview night for its second year (thanks to our good friend Alex Eats Too Much) and wanted to share more about what you can expect when attending this one plus give some tips on how to get the most out of a Bites Card purchase!

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Pittsburgh Magazine Wine & Spirits Festival Offers Up a Delicious Duo

We always want a good party in Pittsburgh, and when it comes to a food and beverage celebration, Pittsburgh Magazine always does it right.

In the past, we have attended events like their Best of the Burgh Party, as well as their Best Restaurants Party, which, in our opinion, is one of the greatest celebrations you can attend every year if you love our local Pittsburgh restaurants. 

In 2022, Pittsburgh Magazine returned with a new spring party, aptly named the Wine & Spirits Festival, to go along with their other libations-themed celebrations (separate wine and whiskey festivals typically taking place in the fall).

We were guests of Pittsburgh Magazine for this party at Rivers Casino in its inaugural year and wanted to share a bit more of what this one was like in this one!

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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 Acrisure Stadium? 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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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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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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Krampusnacht in Market Square Celebrates European Tradition

Krampusnacht appears to be moving to Penn Brewery in 2024. This article was from a former Krampusnacht that took place in Market Square. While we expect the structure to be the same, the location will be different.

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!

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5 Great Activities to Enjoy Christmas in Westmoreland County

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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