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.
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!
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!
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!
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.
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.
Note: ScareHouse is on hiatus in 2024, but will be offering a few themed experiences like the basement and others this year. We expect ScareHouse to return in full in 2025.
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.
At this point, it should be no surprise that we love checking out sunflowers near Pittsburgh when they’re blooming. They’re Angie’s favorite flower and one of mine as well.
So when we heard that there was a sunflower maze at Maple Bottom Farm in the Laurel Highlands, I had to go check it out shortly after it opened for the season.
While you may want to temper your expectations for the maze element of this one, this field checks a lot of boxes for us in that it is quite large, gorgeous, and allows for ample opportunities for photos inside the field itself!
There are two things we know about sunflowers. The first is that they’re Angie’s favorite flower, and the second is that they only bloom for roughly 10-14 days each July in southwest Pennsylvania*.
As such, during these brief blooms we rush to get out to as many places as we can to view these gorgeous flowers.
One such farm is Renshaw Farms just outside of Freeport, PA. While the sunflower field here is not terribly large, we’ll take any opportunity we can to see thousands of flowers in a field. So in this one, we wanted to share more about what you can expect with a quick visit!
*Note: 2026’s sunflower dates are July 22nd through August 4th with varying times by day including some closures.