There’s No Place Like My Hometown of Pittsburgh for the Holidays

The merriest holiday of the year growing up meant struggling to fall asleep on Christmas Eve, wondering if Rudolph would like the carrots I left, and trying to guess what gifts I would find under the tree. Every moment of Christmas meant magic, from tearing the wrapping paper off my presents to having dinner, capped off with homemade lady locks, with my grandparents. While the years have passed and beloved family and friends have gone, those magical memories come to the forefront every holiday season, and of all the places I’ve celebrated Christmas, there’s still no place like my hometown of Pittsburgh for the holidays.

Each Christmas in elementary school in the 80s, our class would raise money for Children's Hospital, climb aboard a bus on a chilly morning before winter break, and go downtown to give what we had collected to KDKA, our local radio station. Every moment was magical, from the lights twinkling in the morning darkness to getting to talk on air. Downtown still exudes that Christmas magic, which kicks off with Light Up Night, usually in late November, each year. As the city officially turns on the lights of its Christmas trees and buildings, crowds gather citywide - ice skating at PPG Place, indulging in delicious food from vendors by the rivers, and whispering wishes to Santa - to celebrate the most magical time of the year. The evening is capped off by a spectacular fireworks display.

Even if you can't make it to Light Up Night, plan a visit downtown during the holiday season to marvel at the lights, skate at PPG Place (buy your timed tickets online first), and shop at the village of vendors at Peoples Gas Holiday Market in Market Square. It's a fun and easy way to get into the Christmas spirit. If you've never taken the incline to Mount Washington to see the lights, try to squeeze it in at night.

It never really feels like Christmas for me until I spend a few hours in Indiana, Pennsylvania, the hometown of my favorite actor Jimmy Stewart (George Bailey). The It's A Wonderful Life Festival kicks off with a parade, and is then held on Saturdays throughout the season. The adorable small town transforms into a real-life Bedford Falls, complete with the sign from the film, and every year, my daughter and I go to IRMC Park to snap photos of the Christmas tree, meet Santa, and roast marshmallows over a fire pit. The Jimmy Stewart Museum is on the same street, so we make our annual visit there, too, and wait until it gets dark to see the decorations and lights twinkling on Philadelphia Street.

If you've never been to Kennywood at Christmas for Holiday Lights, see if you can work it into your schedule. Some rides are open. Holiday characters, including Santa and Rudolph, are on hand to pose for photos, and the park glitters with more than three million lights. You can even pay extra to have dinner with Santa. No matter what, bring a hearty appetite and indulge in the tastes of the season.

Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens' Holiday Magic, an indoor flower show and outdoor winter light garden, has been a treasured tradition since childhood for many of us. Start or continue that holiday tradition with a visit this Christmas season.

While Pittsburgh is simply magical during Christmas, we don't have to spend a lot, or even any, money to embrace the holiday spirit. One of my favorite traditions, since I was little, is driving around the neighborhoods to look at the Christmas lights. Some neighborhoods even host events. We've gone to Monticello Christmas Lights, an entire neighborhood that decorates and welcomes visitors for two evenings to snap photos and vote for their favorite home. The event is free, but donations benefit Meals on Wheels in Delmont and WTAE's Project Bundle Up.

What are your favorite things to do during Christmas in Pennsylvania? What is your favorite Christmas town in Pennsylvania? Share with us by filling out a nomination form. You'll need far longer than a day to experience everything there is to do during Christmas in Pittsburgh, so book a local Vrbo and make a getaway of it.