Image courtesy of Pittsburgh Ginkgo Fest.
Image courtesy of Monroeville Convention Center.

6. Greater Pittsburgh Arts & Crafts Holiday Spectacular at the Monroeville Convention Center: November 17 – 19

Find handmade gifts, family fun and more at the Greater Pittsburgh Arts & Crafts Holiday Spectacular. Considered one of the area’s largest holiday craft festivals, the show brings more than 280 indoor booths of arts and crafts at the Monroeville Convention Center. Browse through a huge selection of holiday decor, food, home goods, clothing, art, handcrafted jewelry and more. Take a photo of your child with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Kids can also enjoy free activities like face painting and balloon animals with Clowns Glitter Dot & Dapper.

Admission to the Greater Pittsburgh Arts & Crafts Holiday Spectacular is $6 for adults, $5.50 for seniors 65 and over and $1 for kids 6-12. Kids under 6 are free.

All smiles at Family Volunteer Day. Image courtesy of Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.

7. Family Volunteer Day at the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank: November 18

The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank estimates that more than 326,000 people in Southwestern Pennsylvania suffer from hunger. Give them a helping hand during the organization’s Family Volunteer Day. The event encourages the whole family to donate their time to the efforts of the Food Bank. During the one-hour volunteer experience, your family will work together on projects such as preparing bags with enough food to sustain a child over a weekend. The event also includes an optional half-hour tour of the Food Bank to learn more about how the organization works.

Two sessions are available, one from 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. and another from 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. The tour takes place from 10:30 – 11 a.m. Registration required.

Image courtesy of Mt. Lebanon Public Library.

8. Lebo Comics Fest at the Mt. Lebanon Public Library: November 18

Head to the Mt. Lebanon Public Library for an animated day of making, playing and learning at the Lebo Comics Fest. The all-ages, after-hours event explores the history of comics with hands-on displays and activities from local Pittsburgh artists, comics experts and arts organizations. Learn to craft a great comic during the Comics Workbook activities led by Pittsburgh-based artists Juan Fernandez and Sally Ingraham. Make your own one-page zine to take home, try out cartooning with Wayno, and check out engaging pop-up displays of comics, cartoons and graphic novels presented by the ToonSeum and Copacetic Comics Compant. There’s also hands-on storytelling activities, a DJ set, face painting by a professional makeup artist, and the chance to invent your own superhero with green screen cosplay.

The Lebo Comics Fest takes place from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Costumes are encouraged and refreshments will be provided. The event is free and open to the public.

Carolers at Let It Glow. Image courtesy of The Waterfront.

9. Let It Glow Christmas Celebration at The Waterfront: November 19

Get into the holiday spirit at The Waterfront during the annual Let it Glow Christmas Celebration. The Town Center becomes merry when Santa and his friends arrive to take pictures with children and their families. Enjoy live music, strolling carolers dressed in traditional costumes, ornament decorating for the kids and free gift wrapping through the Girl Scouts. For something extra sweet, check off a Cupcake Card during the mini cupcake tour around the center’s various retail locations, where you’ll find yummy treats from The Waterfront’s Cakery Square. Once you’ve checked off every cupcake, return the card to the information tent to enter for a chance to win a $500 Waterfront shopping spree. The evening culminates with the lighting of the 22-foot tree in the middle of Town Center.

The Let It Glow Christmas Celebration takes place from 3 – 6 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

Santa and Alby Oxenreiter at the WPXI Holiday Parade. Image courtesy of WPXI.

10. 2017 WPXI Holiday Parade in Downtown Pittsburgh: November 25

Find a spot on the Downtown sidewalks for the WPXI Holiday Parade. The big event features celebrities, fabulous floats, marching bands, massive character balloons and much more as it progresses on its route along Liberty Avenue. Enjoy holiday favorites sung by local and nationally recognized artists like “The Voice” finalist Chris Jamison and recording artist Jeff Jimerson. Performers like “America’s Got Talent” contestant Mirror Image will take to the streets along with the Appolonia Leake Dance Company, the World Famous Harlem Globetrotters, and many others. There will also be appearances by mascots such as Steely McBeam, Iceburgh, the PNC Park Pierogies and the Pirate Parrot, as well as adorable dog groups, and the Steel City Ghostbusters. All of this leads up to the arrival of the one and only Santa Claus.

The WPXI Holiday Parade takes place from 9 – 11 a.m. For the best view, watch the extravaganza on Liberty Avenue, between 11th Street and 6th Street.

Honorable mentions:

Iron City Circus Arts First Student Showcase: November 4

Guy Fawkes (aka Bonfire) Night at Hartwood Acres Mansion: November 5

PJ Masks Live! at the Byham Theater: November 13

Sole Defined at the Hillman Center for the Performing Arts: November 18

Comcast Light Up Night in Downtown Pittsburgh: November 17

For more events, check out 10 Pittsburgh events not to miss in November.

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Amanda Waltz is a freelance journalist and film critic whose work has appeared locally in numerous publications. She writes for The Film Stage and is the founder and editor of Steel Cinema, a blog dedicated to covering Pittsburgh film culture. She currently lives in Pittsburgh with her husband and oversized house cat.