There’s nothing I love more than seeing Pittsburgh get all dressed up for the holidays. If you don’t already feel a connection to the City of Steel, I think you may after you visit some of my favorite holiday spots. Grab your coat, your hat and your family, and head out for a wintry night (or day, or both!) on the town.

While there’s holiday fun all over the city (check out this great list of things to do in Pittsburgh over the Holidays ), my favorites are right downtown. There’s so much to see and do!

If you’ve got some shopping to take care of, you can find local, hand-made gifts at the Peoples Gas Holiday Market in Market Square. This is an awesome experience, and I’ve found many great gifts here over the years. Once you’ve checked off everyone on your list, you can visit the Big Guy himself for a photo op. (If you bring a donation to the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, the photo is free!)

After you’ve seen everything at Market Square, there’s even more at PPG Place. If skating is your thing, find the perfect holiday skating experience at the MassMutual Ice Rink (click for information on hours, etc). It’s even bigger than the one at Rockefeller Center! Also at PPG Place is the Wintergarden, which features a display of Santas from around the world, as well as a gingerbread exhibit. Your kiddos are sure to love this!

If you’ve got energy left after all this (and I hope you do!), hop on the Holly Trolley or a horse-drawn carriage for a tour of all the spectacular holiday decorations and lights that downtown has to offer. This is my favorite part! Maybe take along a hot coffee or cocoa to keep you warm.

I love this beautiful time of year, and I hope the coming weeks bring you and yours much joy. If there’s anything I can help you with in your real estate journey, please get in touch!

*The feature photo at the top of this post is a painting by Linda Barnicott.  For more information on this piece and any of Linda’s work, click here.