PDP Announces Light Up Night® 2009
For Immediate Release
October 29, 2009
Contact: Hollie Geitner
(412) 325-0153
(412) 780-6709 – cell
PDP Announces Light Up Night® 2009
Official Downtown Celebration on Nov. 20 Kicks-off the Holiday Season
PITTSBURGH, PA — Halloween is just days away but Downtown has been gearing up for one of Pittsburgh’s most anticipated traditions, Light Up Night®, for several weeks. The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership (PDP) announced today that the 49th Annual Light Up Night® event in Downtown Pittsburgh will be held on Friday, Nov. 20. The holiday kick-off celebration in the Golden Triangle features fun for the entire family including lighting ceremonies, holiday entertainment and displays, the opening of the PPG Plaza Ice Rink, children’s activities and an impressive Macy’s Fireworks Finale.
“Despite construction impacting key areas of Downtown, including Market Square, the celebration will go on with some changes and enhancements, while still featuring Light Up Night® traditions Pittsburghers have come to love,” said Michael Edwards, President and CEO of the PDP. “In fact, next year marks the 50th anniversary of Light Up Night® and plans are already underway to celebrate that important milestone.”
Performances and booths held in Market Square in previous years will be relocated to PPG Place Plaza and the Roberto Clemente Bridge. Etta Cox Trio, country band, The Stickers and rock band, No Bad Ju Ju will entertain audiences in PPG Place Plaza throughout the evening. The first 10,000 people to stop by the PDP Information Booth on Light Up Night® will receive a free tri-colored glow necklace.
Starting at 7:15 p.m. the Highmark Light Up Night March, led by Mount Lebanon High School and Franklin Regional High School marching bands, will travel from Macy’s, with a couple performance stops along the way, to the Roberto Clemente Bridge (Sixth Street Bridge) for a Light Up Night Bridge Party featuring Pittsburgh’s complete oldies band, Johnny Angel and the Halos. The evening concludes with the Macy’s Fireworks Finale, a spectacular, up-close production that will include a Niagara Falls of white fireworks and other special effects launched from the Andy Warhol Bridge (Seventh Street Bridge) and barges on the Allegheny River—all broadcast live on 3WS 94.5 FM.
Holiday happenings throughout Downtown complement the evening with long-standing traditions, such as the Macy’s holiday window unveiling and some new elements like the Fifth Avenue FREEZE, an interactive ice display celebrating Pittsburgh’s championship moments in time.
See below for a schedule of highlighted events, which is subject to change, so check www.DowntownPittsburgh.com for the most up-to-date and comprehensive Light Up Night® details. Become a fan of Pittsburgh Light Up Night® on Facebook for photos, event listings and other interesting Light Up Night® facts.
Schedule of Events:
5 p.m.: CLO Mini Stars perform at PPG Place Plaza
5 – 9 p.m.: Fifth Avenue FREEZE and LuminoCity at Fifth Avenue Place
5:30 p.m.: American Cancer Society’s Tribute of Light/Plaza Tree Lighting: PPG Place Plaza
5:45 p.m.: Mayor Luke Ravenstahl lights tree in One Oxford Centre
6 p.m.: Free horse-drawn carriage rides, live reindeer and photos with Santa at One Oxford Centre
6:15 p.m.: Etta Cox Trio at PPG Place Plaza
6:15 p.m.: Macy’s holiday window unveiling
6:45 - 7 p.m.: Lighting of the Unity Tree, sponsored by Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield at Fifth Avenue Place
7:15 p.m.: Highmark Light Up Night® March
7:30 p.m.: The Stickers at PPG Place Plaza
7:30 – 9:30 p.m.: Light Up Night Bridge Party featuring Johnny Angel and The Halos
8:40 p.m.: No Bad Ju Ju at PPG Place Plaza
9:15 p.m.: Macy’s Fireworks Finale – Roberto Clemente Bridge
“We have a fantastic line-up of events on Light Up Night® and we encourage everyone to come back Downtown each weekend to celebrate the holiday season by enjoying our unique shopping venues, dining options, children’s activities, ice skating and performances in the Cultural District,” said Edwards. “Downtown is a whole-day holiday experience that you can’t find anywhere else.”
“Downtown Pittsburgh: Memories Made Here” Weekends
The Holiday season begins Saturday, Nov. 21 and continues through First Night. Free horse-drawn carriage rides will be offered each Saturday from 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. Sponsored by One Oxford Centre and PPG Place, riders can see Downtown’s sights from a unique perspective. Rides begin at One Oxford Centre from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. and then move to PPG Plaza from 3 – 8 p.m. for a special night-time view of the rink and holiday displays.
The Free Fifth Avenue Place Holly Trolley will run each Saturday and Sunday (except for Dec. 27) and will entertain riders with holiday songs and Downtown trivia. Seven convenient stops make holiday shopping, dining and sight-seeing a breeze. Stops include: Fifth Avenue Place, PPG Place, One Oxford Centre, Macy’s, U.S. Steel Building (Creche), August Wilson Center and Katz Plaza.
Another holiday tradition is the Celebrate the Season Parade presented by Macy’s and WPXI-TV at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 28 which features fabulous floats, gigantic balloons and super celebrities. For details about these and other holiday happenings in Downtown, go to www.DowntownPittsburgh.com.
The 49th Annual Light Up Night® and Memories Made Here Weekends are supported by the following 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.
For more information about Light Up Night®, Memories Made Here Weekends or holiday events and happenings throughout Downtown, 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.
# # #
