Pittsburgh events, November 2026 to February 2027

Pittsburgh does winter in public. From the Saturday before Thanksgiving until the last of the poinsettias are carried out of Schenley Park, the city fills its squares, stages and conservatory glass with things to do, and most of them are close enough together to string into one outing. Here is what is on from now through the end of February, with every date taken from the organizer's own page.

Downtown lights up

The season starts on Saturday, November 21, with the 65th Highmark Light Up Night. The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership spreads it across several stages: the City of Pittsburgh's tree lighting at the City-County Building on Grant Street, the UPMC tree on PPG Plaza, the Highmark tree at Stanwix Street and Penn Avenue, and the lighting of the Sister Bridges before a fireworks finale over the Allegheny. Joe Grushecky and the Houserockers are on the Highmark stage, and this year there is a party on the Rachel Carson Bridge to mark its 100th anniversary.

Light Up Night also opens a month of Downtown traditions:

• The Peoples Gas Holiday Market returns to Market Square for its 15th season, November 20 to December 24 (closed Thanksgiving). Its full-time vendors include Pittsburgh makers such as Pittsburgh Pottery, EmTree Bath and Body and Linda Barnicott Art and Gifts, with local groups singing on the community stage.
• Santa's House in the Heinz Hall Courtyard, November 21 to December 24, with a choice of a Black or White Santa. Visitors are invited to give to the Pittsburgh Community Food Bank for a printed keepsake photo.
• Holiday KidsPlay and the Selfie Garden, weekends from November 21 to December 20, made with Fred Rogers Productions, with ornament-making, giant games and story time.
• The holiday window competition, which starts on Light Up Night. Eleven Downtown storefronts compete and shoppers vote for a favorite.

The UPMC Rink at PPG Place, with its tree in the middle of the plaza, is open for the season and posts hours through February 28.

Gardens, lights and a zoo by car

Phipps Holiday Magic runs November 20 through January 10 at the conservatory in Schenley Park, in Oakland. Inside is the Winter Flower Show, Botanical Brilliance, built from poinsettias, amaryllis and narcissus with new topiaries; outside is the Winter Light Garden, which can close briefly in heavy rain. Phipps asks every visitor, members included, to reserve tickets in advance. If you want greenery for your own house, its free Gifts and Greens Market sells wreaths, garlands and poinsettias December 3 to 5.

Zoo Lights returns as a drive-through at the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium in Highland Park, on select nights from November 27 to January 3. Each car books one timed ticket, everyone stays inside for a loop of about half an hour, and the zoo lists the dark nights on its page, including Christmas Eve, Christmas and New Year's Eve.

On stage and in the galleries

Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre's The Nutcracker plays the Benedum Center from December 4 to 27. This is the last year for Terrence S. Orr's production, which has been part of the city's Decembers for more than twenty years; the company has an all-new version planned for 2027, and the run includes one sensory-friendly performance.

At the Frick Pittsburgh on Reynolds Street, Home for the Holidays at Clayton opens the Frick family home, dressed for the season, from November 20 to January 3, Tuesday through Sunday. This year's tour follows the family's Gilded Age celebrations, and the Frick recommends booking ahead.

The weekend after New Year's is the last chance for the 59th Carnegie International, which closes January 3. Carnegie Museum of Art on Forbes Avenue holds most of its 61 artists, with more work at the Children's Museum of Pittsburgh, Kamin Science Center and the Mattress Factory on the North Side and at the Thelma Lovette YMCA in the Hill District. The museum organizes the show every four years, so the next one is a long way off.

January and February

Pittsburgh Restaurant Week returns Monday, January 11 to Sunday, January 17, a good excuse to try a neighborhood place you have been meaning to visit.

On Saturday, February 6, Lunar New Year's Day, the Pittsburgh Chinese Cultural Center hosts the 2027 Greater Pittsburgh Lunar New Year Gala at the Pittsburgh Playhouse's PNC Theater, welcoming the Year of the Goat with afternoon culture and food activities followed by music, dance and martial arts. The same day, the Frick Art Museum opens Soul, Sound and Voice, nearly 100 watercolors by the illustrator Jerry Pinkney, on view until May 9.

Before and after

A few independent places pair well with the calendar. Izzazu Salon's Downtown location on Fifth Avenue does blowouts and updos before a night at the ballet. For gifts, love, Pittsburgh, a women-owned shop on Liberty Avenue, carries work from more than 100 local artists and makers, and its window is one of those in the Downtown contest. For a holiday table, Pennsylvania Macaroni Company in the Strip District, known locally as Penn Mac, stocks imported cheeses, deli meats, olive oils and gift boxes.

Plans shift with the weather, and several of these events need timed tickets, so check each organizer's page, listed in the sources, before you go.