Phipps winter flower show and lights. Photo by Paul McCarthy / Flickr

You don’t need a car to reach these holiday destinations.

By Phil Hnatkovich
Driving around to see festive light displays is as American a holiday tradition as fake egg nog and boozy fruitcake. But in Pittsburgh — where neither winter snow nor ice nor freezing fog keep our bikes indoors — who says a car has to be part of the equation? Get out and enjoy the season with a few tours of the best holiday events that our city has to offer.

A Merry, Merry Multimodal Tour

Changing how you get from here to there can make the familiar seem totally new. Revisit some local holiday traditions with a tour that will take you from your bike to skates, carriage… and the Gingerbread Express. Your tour starts in Oakland with a visit to the annual Winter Flower Show and Light Garden at Phipps Conservatory. Head Downtown via the Eliza Furnace Trail, where you can skate around the holiday tree and check out the Wintergarden at PPG Place. From there, take a (free!) carriage ride over to Market Square for the Holiday Market. Finish your day by riding the Great Allegheny Passage to Kennywood for a choreographed lights show, choral music, and a ride on the holiday-themed Olde Kennywood Railroad.

Cultural Circuit

This tour lets you explore a diverse set of holiday traditions. Begin with a tour of Christmases past at The Frick’s Clayton Museum. Pedal on to Pitt’s Cathedral of Learning, where the Nationality Rooms are decorated to reflect global year-end traditions. Then, celebrate the Tet Festival at the Children’s Museum’s interactive “Voyage to Vietnam” exhibit. Leaving the North Side, spend a contemplative early evening Downtown. The Pittsburgh Crèche is a replica of the display at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. Across Grant Street, the First Lutheran Church is holding several special services this December, including Friday Vespers modeled on the Taizé community and a German Christmas service on Dec. 20.

Hidden Gems

Looking for something festive that is off the beaten path? We’ve got an itinerary for you. Holiday cookie sales and walks are an idiosyncratic (and delicious) local tradition that somehow manages to fly under our collective radar this time of year. Held at numerous area churches, there’s sure to be one coming up near you. The Carnegie Science Center houses a holiday miniature railroad exhibit, dating to the 1920s, that depicts historic scenes and sites in Western Pennsylvania. Finally, if you are up for a trek up Freeport Road, Bob’s Garage in Blawnox has long been a cult favorite for its outlandish light displays, which cover both the exterior and interior of the bar. Grab some food and drinks, while supporting a great charitable cause.

What are your favorite places to bike around and see the lights? Speak up the comments.

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