Oakland for the Holidays

Celebrate the holidays!

Get in the spirit of the season in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood, just a few miles from Downtown. There are plenty of festive events for the entire family to enjoy. Oakland is home to universities and museums, grand architecture, quaint coffee shops, international cuisine and specialty shops.

GLOWLAND Returns

Experience Oakland like never before. Beginning Nov. 18, GLOWLAND will be a month-long winter celebration with amazing art, live music and illuminations. In 2023, their signature exhibit EXPosure will bring out your creative side as you create art with light and your own portraits on giant, inflatable spheres.

Better yet, GLOWLAND unites Oakland businesses all throughout the neighborhood, making it a one-stop wonder to see the lights, shop and have a great meal. Look for special events on select evenings, too, including a drone light show and a Glow Ball.

Welcome this Winter! at Carnegie Museum of Art

Holidays are all about traditions and the Carnegie Museums of Art once again rings in the season with their annual Holiday Tree Display Wintry Days & Frosty Nights, beginning Nov. 18, 2023 and on display through Jan. 7, 2024. This year, see the Hall of Architecture filled with towering Fraser fir trees, each lit to perfection and trimmed with festive baubles, gingerbread, glistening snow and more!
The trees are the perfect backdrop for the 18th-century Nativity Neapolitan Presepio featuring lifelike figures created between 1700 and 1830 by Italian craftsmen. See this beautiful holiday tradition No. 18, 2023 through Jan. 7, 2024. This season, encounter the Neapolitan presepio in Carnegie Museum of Art’s Scaife galleries. The cherished fixture will be exhibited in proximity to paintings and sculptures in the collection, contextualizing the artwork.
River City Brass, Renaissance City Choir, Camerata 33 and Taktouka Band will perform the Sounds of the Season among the Carnegie Trees Dec. 9 and 23, 2023 and Jan. 13 and 27, 2024
More events including Day Off at the Museum for kids to be immersed in art, a Friends & Family Photo Studio for the ultimate holiday pictures, and more on their Welcome This Winter website.

Phipps Conservatory

Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens is a historic 14-room glasshouse with 23 distinct gardens. Phipps is especially beautiful during the holidays.

The Holiday Magic Winter Flower Show and Light Garden enchants visitors with tens of thousands of lights and beautiful displays of holiday trees, topiaries and poinsettias Nov. 17, 2023-Jan. 7, 2024. Be sure to check out the all-new singing tree that reacts to your singing!
Join Phipps for special holiday events including their Gifts and Greens Market holiday boutique, Winter Wonderland Gala Nov. 16, 2023 and Winter Wonders and Cool Carols performance Dec. 20, 2023.

Heinz Memorial Chapel

Heinz Memorial Chapel sits on the University of Pittsburgh campus. The stunning Gothic architecture includes 73-foot stained glass windows which are among the tallest in the world. Chapel docents are available to give individual and small group walk-up tours during chapel hours. The chapel is filled with the sounds of the season with a variety of concerts:

Campus Holiday Concert, Nov. 30
Holiday Concerts with music from the Heinz Chapel Choir, Dec. 2, 3, 8 and 10, 2023
Heinz Chapel 85th Anniversary Celebration, Dec. 9

Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum

Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall & Museum is a museum, concert hall and ballroom contained within a historic landmark and memorial dedicated to honoring and supporting all who have served in the military since the Civil War through today.

This season, Soldiers & Sailors is presenting Patriotic Santa free and open to the public. This historically accurate Civil War Santa is available for photos starting on their Winterfest event Nov. 26 and also Dec. 3, 10 and 17.

Oakland is a wonderful place to visit during the holiday season, and these are just a few of the highlights. If you explore this fun and family-friendly neighborhood, be sure to share your photos and experiences with us using the hashtag #LovePGH! Happy Holidays!