As we speed toward the new year, the Pittsburgh region offers up a glut of holiday activities. Here are some ideas to help you get out of the house.
If spending time curled in front of a movie is your bag, then Lawrenceville’s Row House Cinema could be a fit. The independent movie house — where beer is sold on the premises — begins the celebration Dec. 25 with Chinese take-out and screenings of "National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation." The following days include staff picks for must-sees on the big screen, from "Casablanca" to "Fight Club."
The holiday stretch between Christmas and New Year’s Day can mean a lot of down time. Step one: peel self off couch, step two: put on bike helmet get on the steel horse and hit the road. Want to travel with others? The IcycleBicycle ride begins at REI on the South Side on New Year’s day and winds its way through a number of neighborhoods, including downtown along its new bike lane on Penn Avenue. Don’t feel like riding outside? The indoor bike park The Wheel Mill in Homewood has courses and features for all skill levels and ages.
Visitors can trade in their bikes for ice skates at the Schenley Skating Rink. There's also great trails for all hiking levels at Kooser State Park in Somerset County, or just a gentle dog friendly jaunts in Frick Park and Ohiopyle State Park. Want to stay downtown? Why not try the alluringly titled Walking, Magical Mystery Scavenger-Tour of Pittsburgh.
For those craving competition, the annual SilvesterCelebration features a 5k run in Harmony. It begins the afternoon of Dec. 31 and finishes with small-town fireworks and a rousing rendition of Auld Lang Syne. For a more kid- focused activity, the Gemini Children’s Theater in Point Breeze is staging an interactive holiday performance of ‘Gift of the Ice Queen’ through Dec. 28. Oh, and if you’re missing the Pittsburgh Pirates and can’t afford a beach vacation, maybe the the Pirates Cove Water Park at Conley Resorts in Butler County will tide you over until the spring.
