Sharing The Best of Pittsburgh and Southwest Pennsylvania
On the surface it seems like February is the month where things quiet down in Pittsburgh. Winter is at its coldest, the month is short, and overall life moves at a slower pace than months in the more vibrant seasons of the year.
That being said, there are a number of things to enjoy in Pittsburgh throughout the month, and whether you want to get outdoors or stay warm inside we've got you covered in this one!
Winter is in full gear in January in Pittsburgh, which means it is time to either embrace the season or rush to a museum or favorite libation spot to stay warm inside.
No matter which you pick, there are many great things to do in Pittsburgh in January- so check out the following options to get a few ideas on where to start!
If you've read other articles on our site, you'd likely know by now that we are a bit wine crazy. Not only are we visiting all of the best Pittsburgh wine bars and local wineries, but we also have taken many wine certification classes through the global program WSET (Jeremy is working on Level 4, Angie has completed WSET Level 2) and even run our own wine blog as a side project.
We trace this love affair with wine back to one particular source, the wine school Palate Partners in Lawrenceville where we've visited for many of their informal First and Third Friday tastings over the years (it is also where we took our WSET Level 2 class as they are authorized instructors for some levels of the program).
The informal tastings are great for those who want to get into wine because they are relaxed and take a somewhat high-level discussion into the wines you are sampling. You don't have to know anything at all about wine to have a great time at these. But for those who want to go a bit deeper, but perhaps not into certification level, Palate Partners offers a number of other themed classes to try out each month as well.
We recently were guests of Palate Partners for a Super Tuscan class, and thought it'd be fun to share a bit more about what the focused lessons are like!
We love it when local museums decorate for Christmas in Pittsburgh as it always gives us an excuse to visit one more time before the end of the holiday season.
The Carnegie Museum of Art gets into the holiday fun with two annual exhibits worth checking out- the Carnegie Trees and the Neapolitan Presepio. While both of these exhibits are on the smaller side compared to other exhibits we've been to, they pack in a lot of detail that will have you lingering for quite some time.
Winters in Pittsburgh are rough, we're not going to sugarcoat it.
Between occasional mounds of snow and below freezing temperatures we wouldn't blame you if hibernation was your primary goal. But if you are looking to get out and explore, southwestern Pennsylvania has a lot for you!
The following are some of our favorite things to do when the temperatures are at a minimum.
November in Pittsburgh is truly a month of change. If we are lucky the start of the month still has mild temperatures and peak fall colors, and by the end of the month winter is starting to descend upon the region.
As such, while there may still be a number of outdoor activities to enjoy this month, depending on the weather forecast you may also want to start moving inside for some experiences!
So if you are looking for things to do in Pittsburgh in November, check out the following options.
You may know that we are avid bikers and explore our local Pittsburgh bike trails as much as we possibly can. As we generally prefer flat rides, we haven't really tackled any of the area mountain biking trails to date.
Thankfully, I was able to visit The Wheel Mill as part of an event where I got to learn the basics of mountain biking and apply them out on the trails at Frick Park via a private lesson. In the process, I was also able to check out some of the insane BMX and mountain biking setups this venue in Homewood West has to offer.
If you like to hit the ramps and jumps or simply want to learn the basics of mountain biking, a trip to The Wheel Mill should be on your radar!
Normally when we think of state parks in the Laurel Highlands, we think about them in terms of their massive size. Laurel Hill State Park clocks in at almost 4,000 acres. Forbes State Forest is almost 60,000 acres. Ohiopyle State Park is about 20,000 acres. We could go on.
But some state parks in the area are much, much smaller while still offering a wealth of things to see in a quick visit.
Linn Run is one such state park, and while this one is only 612 acres in size, it makes for a great spot to check out a waterfall after a rain, for a quick hike, renting a cabin for a weekend, or to go fishing if licensed!
One of the things we love about Pittsburgh's music scene is that there are venues for just about every style of performance. Mega shows at Heinz Field and PNC Park, dedicated pavilions like Star Lake, and intimate music venues like Mr. Small's Theater, and more.
But only a few venues can be described as unassuming hidden gems, and for Thunderbird Cafe & Music Hall in Lawrenceville, it really hits both of those terms perfectly!
Note: ScareHouse is now located in the Pittsburgh Mills shopping mall. We were invited by ScareHouse for a behind-the-scenes tour in 2021 to update this article, but have paid for the tour in the past as well.
If you're looking to get scared silly during Halloween in Pittsburgh, the city has a number of options for you.
But we have to be honest in saying that we're not ones to get excited about haunted attractions. We can appreciate the work and attention to detail that goes into making a haunt, but we're not rushing to get in line to get spooked, either.
So when we found that ScareHouse offers behind the scenes, lights on tours on select days during their operating season, we were in.