For Immediate Release - Thursday, Nov. 12
PITTSBURGH, PA — It’s a magical night in Downtown Pittsburgh as the City celebrates the official kick-off of the holiday season with the 49th Annual Light Up Night® event on Nov. 20. Special performances and activities are scheduled throughout the Golden Triangle.
“We’ve enhanced Light Up Night® with two new signature events that we think are a great balance to the traditional offerings Pittsburghers have come to expect,” said Michael Edwards, President and CEO of the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership (PDP).
A long-time Light Up Night® tradition is the ceremonial unveiling of the Macy’s department store windows, which is scheduled for 6:15 p.m. Macy’s will bring a new holiday story to life in the windows along Smithfield Street, giving spectators a behind-the-scenes look at the journey of a child’s letter to Santa. Five fun-filled holiday animated displays will trace the trail of the letter from the mailbox, through a “naughty” or “nice” mail sorter, to a whimsical device that gives it wings to fly to its final destination – Santa Claus at the North Pole.
"Macy's is proud to continue the tradition of presenting animated holiday windows in our Downtown Pittsburgh store. The holiday season is a special time for all and we are thrilled to kick-off the Downtown event with the timeless tradition of the window unveiling and conclude the Downtown festivities with an exciting Macy's Fireworks Finale display,” said Russell Schutte, Senior Vice President and Regional Director of Stores for Macy’s.
The Highmark Light Up Night® March, a new event featuring the Mt. Lebanon and Franklin Regional High School marching bands—a combined 432 students—will step off from Macy’s after the window unveiling and will stop to perform at PPG Plaza at 7:15 p.m. It will then travel to the Clemente Bridge.
Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield will continue a proud Pittsburgh tradition at 6:45 p.m. by hosting the Unity Tree Lighting Celebration with a magic show by Illusionist David Lawrence.
“The Unity Tree has been a Pittsburgh tradition since 1953 when it was first introduced by Horne’s Department Store,” said Mary Anne Papale, Director of Community Affairs for Highmark. “We’re excited to be a part of the festivities on Light Up Night with the tree lighting and the new march to the bridge party.”
The Light Up Night Bridge Party, another Light Up Night enhancement, starts at 5 p.m. and will feature performances by No Bad Ju Ju and Johnny Angel and the Halos. There will be food vendors and children’s entertainment at the bridge, in addition to booths sponsored by Nationwide, Geico, Riverlife, The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust and others.
Activities will occur throughout the Golden Triangle, starting as early as noon with the annual dedication of the Pittsburgh Crèche at the U.S. Steel Tower Plaza. PPG Place Plaza will host a performance by the CLO Mini Stars at 5 p.m. followed by The Tribute of Light/Plaza Tree Lighting. Then, the Al Dowe and Etta Cox Trio and country band, The Stickers, will continue entertaining in PPG Place Plaza until 9 p.m. Mayor Luke Ravenstahl will kick-off the festivities in One Oxford Centre by lighting the tree at 5:45 p.m. Throughout the evening, One Oxford Centre will host free horse-drawn carriage rides, photos with Santa and children’s activities, including the opportunity to see live reindeer.
Macy’s Fireworks Finale: 9:15 p.m.
No Light Up Night is complete without the Macy’s Fireworks Finale, a spectacular, up close and personal, theatrical production produced by Zambelli Internationale and broadcast LIVE on 3WS. The fireworks display will launch from the Allegheny River on barges and the Warhol Bridge (Seventh Street) where spectators will be “Wowed” by special effects, including a Niagara Falls suspended from the bridge. The best viewing for this must-see show will be from the Clemente Bridge.
Light Up Night Road and River Closures
• Roberto Clemente Bridge (Sixth St.): full closure at 10 a.m. for bridge party stage installation and set-up. It will reopen at midnight.
• Andy Warhol Bridge (Seventh St.): Single lane closure at 10 a.m. (side closest to Clemente Bridge) for fireworks installation; full closure at 8 p.m. to prepare for fireworks launch. The bridge will reopen following the fire inspection at midnight.
• Fourth Ave. (to Stanwix St. at PPG Plaza): Closed from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Penn Ave. from Fifth Ave. Extension to Stanwix St.: Closed from 6 – 7:30 p.m.
• Liberty Ave. from Delray to Stanwix: Closed due to North Shore Connector Project
• Smithfield St. (between Fifth and Fourth Ave.): Partial closure at 4:30 p.m.; full closure at 6 p.m. It will reopen at 8:30 p.m.
• Allegheny River: The U.S. Coast Guard will close the Allegheny River to traffic between mile marker 0.4 to 0.8 extending the entire width of the river from 9:10 until 9:30 p.m.
Parade Route
Rolling road closures will occur as the Highmark Light Up Night March makes its way via police escort from Macy’s to the Roberto Clemente Bridge. The parade will begin on Smithfield in front of Macy’s, turn left onto Forbes, left onto Wood, right onto Fourth into the closure barricade where it will stop to perform. It will then turn around in place and turn left onto Wood, left onto Sixth Ave., left onto Liberty, right onto Sixth St. and will cross Ft. Duquesne Blvd. Traffic disruption will be temporary and no more than 10 minutes as the parade passes through.
Light Up Night® media partners: WTAE-TV, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Trib Total Media, Pittsburgh City Paper, Lamar, 3WS-94.5 FM, BOB FM 96.9, Q92 FM, FROGGY FM and KQV 1410 AM.
“Downtown Pittsburgh: Memories Made Here” Weekends
To celebrate the holiday season and to encourage people to come Downtown to shop, dine and play, the PDP is offering free horse-drawn carriage rides each Saturday from 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. The rides are sponsored by One Oxford Centre and PPG Place. Rides will be available at One Oxford Centre from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. and at PPG Place Plaza from 3 – 8 p.m. Shoppers can also take advantage of the free Holly Trolley, sponsored by Fifth Avenue Place, which will run each Saturday and Sunday (except for Dec. 27). The seven Downtown stops include: Fifth Avenue Place, PPG Place, One Oxford Centre, Macy’s, U.S. Steel Building (Crèche), August Wilson Center and Katz Plaza in the Cultural District. For details about these offers and other Downtown events during the holiday season, go to www.DowntownPittsburgh.com.
About the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership
The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership (PDP), celebrating its 15th year, is a dynamic, nonprofit organization comprised of business and community leaders, property owners, civic organizations, foundations and residents who provide energy, vision and advocacy for Downtown Pittsburgh. Working collaboratively with its partners, the PDP strives to create a positive Downtown experience for residents, workers and visitors alike. The PDP’s strategic initiatives include clean and safe services, transportation, housing and economic development and advocacy. For more information, visit www.DowntownPittsburgh.com.
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