Pittsburgh's holiday season is heading back downtown this month, as the Peoples Gas Holiday Market returns to a newly renovated Market Square after a one-year detour through the Cultural District. The market runs Nov. 20 through Dec. 24, with Highmark Light Up Night kicking off the festivities on Nov. 21 in its 65th year.
The move back to Market Square comes after the market was relocated to the Cultural District in 2025 because of ongoing renovations to the public space ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft, according to WTAE. The WPXI report notes the market was previously located in the Cultural District during those renovations and is now in its 15th year.
Light Up Night festivities begin at 4 p.m. on Nov. 21 and wrap up with a fireworks show from Zambelli's, per the same station's account. Singer Daya is set to headline Xfinity Jam at Arts Landing that evening as part of the celebration.
A New Light Show Debuts at Arts Landing
A new free seasonal attraction will animate the Cultural District's Arts Landing this winter, though sources disagree on its exact name — the station's report calls it the Hallmark Winter Glow, while WPXI identifies it as the Highmark Winter Glow, describing it as a new seasonal attraction at Arts Landing featuring light installations across the public space. Kendra Whitlock Ingram, president and CEO of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, called it a must-see holiday display. The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust describes Arts Landing itself as a 4.5-acre destination meant to host festivals and performances, exhibit public art, and provide space for everyday recreation and relaxation, according to trustarts.org.
Back in Market Square, Santa's House will be set up in the Heinz Hall Courtyard from Nov. 21 through Dec. 24, while the Holiday KidsPlay and selfie garden runs from Nov. 21 through Dec. 20. Holiday Kids Play, located at 219 Forbes Avenue, opens on Light Up Night and will be open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturdays and until 6 p.m. on Sundays, according to the same account.
Imagination Library Gets a Home in Market Square
This year's festivities also include a partnership with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, which mails participating children one free book each month. The dedicated Imagination Library space in Market Square will let families enroll in the program while giving children a place to play, and Holiday Kids Play will partner with Fred Rogers Productions as part of that effort.
Mayor Corey O'Connor said the Imagination Library partnership will create a place for children in Market Square, adding that downtown Pittsburgh is special and should build on its momentum to attract more people. Dr. Mary Denison said children can never have enough books. City leaders designed the expanded festivities to celebrate the holidays while continuing to draw people downtown.
Ed Palombo said the market could return to a new and revitalized Market Square, while Neil Parham said Light Up Night brings people, families and friends downtown to welcome the holidays. A prior version of the Cultural District arrangement had placed holiday pop-up shops at Katz Plaza, the Trust Oasis at 139 Seventh Street, and a parking lot across from the Benedum Center, according to Pittsburgh Magazine, which also reported that Downtown Partnership President and CEO Jeremy Waldrup said 3 million people came downtown for festivities the previous year.
