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Highmark Light Up Night 2023

November 17, 2023

Highmark Light Up Night® makes its much-anticipated return for its 62nd-anniversary celebration with live entertainment, holiday shopping, family fun, and so much more! Get ready for more fireworks displays than ever, too.

2023 Schedule


TREE LIGHTINGS, CEREMONIES, & FIREWORKS

5 p.m. City of Pittsburgh Tree Lighting with Zambelli Rooftop Fireworks 

City-County Building

6 p.m. UPMC Ultimate Holiday Tree Lighting & ACS Tribute of Light Ceremony
PPG Plaza

7 p.m. Highmark Christmas Tree Lighting with Zambelli Rooftop Fireworks
Stanwix Street & Penn Avenue

9:30 p.m. Xfinity Fireworks Spectacular with Supersized Zambelli Finale
Allegheny Overlook on Ft. Duquesne Boulevard

FOOD, DRINKS, & MORE FOOD!

Enjoy food and drinks from local vendors, food trucks, and pop-up beer & cocktail gardens. 

  • Cultural District Stage Penn Ave. and 8th Street
  • Riverside Stage Area
  • Stanwix Street at Penn Avenue
  • Grant Street and Fourth

PIRATES MINI-FEST

Stanwix St. and Ft. Duquesne

3 - 9:30 p.m. Batter up! The Pirates’ Mini-Fest is the place for all things Bucco’s. Stop by for a photo op with the Parrot and the pierogies! While you’re there, enjoy holiday-themed face painting, balloon artist stations, inflatables, and even race a Pierogi! Play some backyard games and win Pirates prizes!

HIGHMARK HOLIDAY BLOCK PARTY

Penn Ave. and Stanwix St.

All night long: Your favorite Light Up Night crew is back in action. This year, the Highmark Holiday Block Party is bringing new festive fun — including a light-up dance floor, silent disco, and outdoor firepits to stay warm and toasty. We can’t wait to see you there. 

MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT

Highmark Main Stage
Stanwix Street & Penn Avenue

3 - 5:30 p.m. SING SING SING!
6 - 7:45 p.m. Joe Grushecky and The Houserockers
7 p.m. Highmark Christmas Tree Lighting with Zambelli Rooftop Fireworks
8:15 - 9:20 p.m. Miss Freddye’s Blues Band

Xfinity Riverside Stage
Ft. Duquesne Boulevard & 6th Street

4:30 - 6 p.m. Orange Music feat. Isaiah Small
6:30 - 7:45 p.m. Soulful Femme
8 - 8:10 p.m. Bridge Lighting
8:30 - 9:30 p.m. Phillip Phillips
9:30 p.m. Xfinity Fireworks Spectacular with Supersized Zambelli Grand Finale

Sounds of the Season Stage
Market Square

5 - 9:30 p.m. Live Music

Cultural District Stage
Penn Avenue and Seventh Street

3 - 4:30 p.m. Pennsoulvanians
5 - 6:30 p.m. 
Clara Kent with special guest Mani Bahia
7 - 9:30 p.m. 
Pickup Line

City of Pittsburgh Grant Street Stage
414 Grant Street

4 - 4:45 p.m. Louie Castle
5 - 5:20 p.m. City-County Building Tree Lighting with Zambelli Fireworks
5:30 – 6:30 p.m. Uptown Rhythm & Brass
6:45 p.m. Lighting Display

Carriage Rides From 5:30 - 7 p.m.

BLAST! VIP PARTY

Roost | 250 Forbes Ave.

6:30 - 9:30 p.m. It’s an exclusive party that is a total BLAST! Enjoy signature cocktails, hearty appetizers, and special desserts at Roost. 

Buy Your VIP Tickets HERE

2023 Events & Happenings

CULTURAL DISTRICT STAGE
625 Liberty Avenue

Pop-Up Cocktail & Beer Garden

Enjoy adult beverages and specialty cocktails. 

MARKET SQUARE

Peoples Gas Holiday Market | 11 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Celebrating 12 years, shop this holiday tradition which features local charm and international flair along with an assortment of unique vendors from around the region and beyond.

Sounds of the Season Stage | 11 a.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Enjoy live performances throughout the day and night. See schedule above.

HIGHMARK CHRISTMAS TREE
Penn Avenue & Stanwix Street

Highmark Christmas Tree Lighting | 7 p.m.

Join in on the fun at the official lighting of Downtown Pittsburgh’s most iconic Christmas tree, featuring a double-dose of Zambelli rooftop fireworks.

HEINZ HALL
600 Penn Ave

Free Concerts from the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

6:30, 7:15 & 8 p.m.

Surround yourself with the sounds of the season! Join the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra as they offer three FREE 30-minute concerts featuring holiday-themed classics.

Art AboundS 

“Emerging Visions”

Liberty Avenue

This collaboration with Silver Eye Center for Photography features the works of three rising Pittsburgh artists on the windows of currently vacant storefronts along Liberty Ave., creating a public art gallery in the heart of Downtown. 

Learn more.


CITY-COUNTY BUILDING
414 Grant Street

Tree Lighting with Zambelli Rooftop Fireworks | 5 p.m.

The 108th Official Tree is a 60-foot spruce from Springdale with hundreds of oversized ornaments, 90 of which bear the name of a City neighborhood. This year’s 40-foot blue spruce was donated by the Guardian Angels Parish of Natrona Heights, Springdale Campus. It will remain on display with occasional light shows on the front façade of the City-County Building through early January.

21st Annual Gingerbread House Display & Competition

For the 21st year, the people of Pittsburgh and its surrounding communities showcase their own edible gingerbread houses - and the competition returns to the grand lobby of the City-County Building! On display through early January. Please note visitors are subject to a light security screen, including bag checks.

THE UPMC RINK AT PPG PLACE

Ice Skating at the UPMC Rink at PPG Place | 10 a.m. - 11 p.m.

Ice skate in the heart of Downtown Pittsburgh around the high-tech 66-foot-tall tree illuminated by more than 100,000 lights on a rink larger than the one in Rockefeller Center, New York.  

Reserve your ice skating tickets in advance

Spirit of Giving Around the World

Admire 16 life-sized Santas and paintings depicting holiday traditions from around the world. On display in the windows of Two PPG Place along Fourth Avenue.

U.S. STEEL TOWER PLAZA
600 Grant Street

Pittsburgh Crèche

Visit Pittsburgh’s larger-than-life nativity scene to see the only authorized replica of the nativity featured in Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome. This Crèche, which measures roughly 64 feet wide by 36 feet long and features 20 life-sized figures, has been an annual attraction since 1999, connecting Pittsburghers and visitors with the joy of the Christmas season.

Churches to visit
Various Locations

First Presbyterian | 4:30-8:30 p.m.

Hear renditions of beloved Christmas melodies played by Sean Baran on pipe organ and piano, while marveling at the beautiful 24’ Christmas Tree and the historic Tiffany stained glass windows. Free cookies and hot chocolate will be served.

Smithfield United Church of Christ | 6-6:45 p.m.

Swing by the Sanctuary to sing some holiday carols, accompanied by Music Director and Organizer Jim Varner. Last year, this impromptu musical gathering attracted over 40 carolers! 

St. Mary of Mercy Church | 6:30-8 p.m.

Join St. Mary for a moment of peace at a candlelit adoration with hot chocolate and music.

2023 Family-Fun



All Ages Film Short Films

3:30 & 4:35 p.m.
Harris Theater

Join Film Pittsburgh for some fun and engaging family-friendly short films as part of the Pittsburgh Shorts film festival at the Harris Theater. The screening is free, so come by for films and other festival fun! Films will be shown in rotation, so stop by anytime.

Pete (USA, 7 min), Jelly (USA, 10 min), The Missing Piece (Czech Republic, 4 min), Kid Ugly (USA, 12 min), The Smeds and the Smoos (UK, 27 min)


Pirates Mini-fest

Starts at 3 p.m.
Between Ft. Duquesne Blvd. & Penn Ave

Batter up! The Pirates’ Mini-Fest is the place for all things Bucco’s. Stop by for a photo op with the Parrot and the pierogies! While you’re there, enjoy holiday-themed face painting, balloon artists stations, inflatables, and even race a Pierogi! Play some backyard games and win Pirates prizes!


Coca Cola Santa on Stanwix

Starts at 3 p.m.
Stanwix at Ft. Duquesne Blvd.

Have you been good all year? Here’s your chance to tell Santa what you want and get your photo taken with the holly jolly one himself! Grab a free Coke Zero and snap a photo with Santa at the Coca-Cola Caravan on Stanwix and Ft. Duquesne Blvd!


Fifth Avenue Freeze

Starts at 3 p.m.
Fifth Avenue Place

Discover a shimmering holiday display of ice carvings by award-winning master carver Rich Bubin of Ice Creations. Get up close and snap photos with Elf, The Grinch, Barbie, Olaf, and more. Head inside Fifth Ave. Place from 6-9 p.m. to discover additional activities including an airbrush artist, face painter, balloon artist, and caricaturist.

Getting Here & Around

Downtown Pittsburgh is the place to be this holiday season! Learn more about our neighborhood at DowntownPittsburgh.com, and view a full schedule of events for Grand Opening Day, Highmark Light Up Night, and the Peoples Gas Holiday Market.

Bus, Bike, & Light Rail

Getting to Downtown Pittsburgh is easy via public transit. Plan your trip using the Port Authority’s Trip Planner, or utilize Healthy Ride Bike Share and the bike lane network to bike into town. Don’t forget: once you’re Downtown, the Light Rail free fare zone can get you from Downtown to the North Shore quickly and for free.

Planning on driving?

If you are driving, park towards the edges of Downtown to make arriving and exiting easier on your group without getting stuck in traffic. Check ParkPGH.org for real-time parking garage availability, and rest assured that Downtown is one of the most walkable neighborhoods in the city.  Recommended parking locations include the Grant Street Transportation Center and the Market Square Garage, as well as options on the North Shore which include free light rail rides into Downtown. 

Accommodations

With numerous hotels located throughout the neighborhood, it’s easy to make a vacation weekend out of Highmark Light Up Night® and the Peoples Gas Holiday Market! View a full listing of Downtown hotels at DowntownPittsburgh.com.

🚧 Light Up Night® 2023 Road Closures 🚧

Friday 11/17 6 PM – Sunday 11/19 3 AM:

  • Stanwix Street northbound from Liberty Avenue to Fort Duquesne Blvd
  • Penn Avenue Extension from Stanwix Street to Gateway T-station Triangle
  • Penn Avenue from 6th Street to Stanwix Street (allowing garage traffic)
  • Fort Duquesne Blvd westbound from Stanwix Street to 7th Street

Saturday 11/18 1 AM – Sunday 11/19 3 AM:

  • Stanwix Street southbound from Liberty Avenue to Fort Duquesne Blvd
  • Fort Duquesne Blvd eastbound from Stanwix Street to 6th Street (allowing garage traffic &
    dock access)
  • Fort Pitt Bridge Ramp to Fort Duquesne Blvd
  • Fort Duquesne Bridge Ramp to Fort Duquesne Blvd
  • Cecil Place between Fort Duquesne Blvd & Penn Avenue (partial closure)

Saturday 11/18 4 PM - 11:59 PM:

  • Fourth Avenue from Stanwix Street to Wood Street

Saturday 11/18 4 PM - 9:30 PM:

  • Market Square
  • Forbes Avenue between Stanwix Street & Market Square
  • Graeme Street between Fifth Avenue & Market Square
  • Market Street between Fifth Avenue & Market Square
  • Commonwealth Place past Wyndham Hotel valet to Stanwix. Street (garage traffic only, exit only after 4 PM)
  • Fort Duquesne & 6th Street garage – exit only.

Saturday 11/18 6:30* PM - 9:30 PM:

  • Fort Duquesne Boulevard eastbound from 6th Street to 7th Street (*May close as early as 3 PM, crowd dependent.)

Saturday 11/18 8 PM - 9:30 PM:

  • 6th Street from Liberty Avenue to Fort Duquesne Boulevard
  • Penn Ave from EQT Garage entrance to 7th Street
  • Barkers Place from Penn Avenue to Fort Duquesne Boulevard
  • Scott Place from Penn Avenue to Fort Duquesne Boulevard
  • McCrea Way from 6th Street to Barkers Place