Highmark Light Up Night® makes its much-anticipated return for its 63rd-anniversary celebration with live entertainment, holiday shopping, family fun, and so much more! Get ready for more fireworks displays than ever, too.
2024 Schedule |
 | TREE LIGHTINGS, CEREMONIES, & FIREWORKS |
City-County Building
6 p.m. UPMC Ultimate Holiday Tree Lighting & American Cancer Society Tribute of Light Ceremony
PPG Plaza
7 p.m. Highmark Christmas Tree Lighting with Zambelli Rooftop Fireworks
Stanwix Street & Penn Avenue
8 p.m. "The Three Sisters" Bridge Lighting
Ft Duquesne Blvd & Sixth St
9:30 p.m. Xfinity Fireworks Spectacular with Supersized Zambelli Finale
Ft Duquesne Blvd between Stanwix & Sixth St
HIGHMARK HOLIDAY BLOCK PARTY
Penn Ave. and Stanwix St.
Starts at 4: 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.
MUSIC & ENTERTAINMENT
Highmark Main Stage
Stanwix Street & Penn Avenue
4 p.m. Meeting of Important People
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. Hugo Cruz & The Caminos
Xfinity Riverside Stage
Ft. Duquesne Boulevard & 6th Street
4 p.m. DJ Arie Cole
6:30: The Buckledowns
8:30 p.m.
The Fray
9:30 p.m. Xfinity Fireworks Spectacular with Supersized Zambelli Grand Finale
BLAST! VIP PARTY
Two Gateway Center
6:30 - 9:30 p.m. This exclusive VIP party is a total BLAST! Enjoy signature cocktails, hearty appetizers, and special desserts at this ticketed VIP experience. It’s the perfect place to relax and regroup from one of the busiest nights of the year!
2024 Events & Happenings |
"5 at 5" Bridge Party! | 4 - 6 p.m.
Kick off Light Up Night with $5 drinks from Trace Brewing and Lawrenceville Distilling, plus mouthwatering eats from artisan food vendors. Score vintage finds and stellar deals on Light Up Night Apparel, while DJ Arie Cole spins live.
It’s the perfect happy hour on the bridge—beer, bites, & beats for just FIVE BUCKS!
MARKET SQUARE - Peoples Gas Holiday Market | 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Celebrating 13 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.
HIGHMARK CHRISTMAS TREE - Tree Lighting | 7 p.m.
Penn Avenue & Stanwix Street
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.
| CITY-COUNTY BUILDING |
Tree Lighting with Zambelli Rooftop Fireworks | 5 p.m.
The 109th Official Tree is a 40-foot spruce 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.
22nd Annual Gingerbread House Display & Competition
For the 22nd 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.
2024 Family-Fun |
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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.
Pirates Mini-fest
Starts at 4 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 4 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. And, while supplies last, anyone who visits Santa will get a limited edition Coca Cola polar bear! Arrive early to get yours!
Fifth Avenue Freeze
Starts at 4 p.m.
Fifth Avenue Place
Visit Pittsburgh’s very own Fifth Avenue FREEZE! Discover a shimmering holiday display of ice carvings by award winning master ice carver Rich Bubin of Ice Creations. Get up close and snap photos with a snowman, Christmas tree, Snoopy, a snowflake and even Rudolph! Head inside Fifth Avenue Place from 6-9pm 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.
