New Year’s Eve 2022 Around B-W: River Cruises, First Night & More

PITTSBURGH, PA — Who needs to spend New Year's Eve in Times Square? There are plenty of festivities in and around Pittsburgh to ring out the old year and ring in the new.

The largest celebration, as always, will be Highmark First Night Pittsburgh. The free event, running from 6 p.m. to midnight Downtown, will feature live music, dance, theater, visual arts, comedy, magic, kids’ activities, a parade and two fireworks displays.

Among this year's First Night highlights:

• The annual arts-focused New Year's Eve Parade presented by Giant Eagle. "A Better World" is the theme for this year's parade, which features signature giant puppets that have become a mainstay of this family-friendly tradition. The parade starts at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center at 8 p.m. It will travel down Penn Avenue through the entire Cultural District and will end at the right turn onto Stanwix Street toward the Allegheny River.

• A fully immersive 5-foot high walk-through maze of giant ice blocks, specially designed and carved by master ice carver Rich Bubin of Ice Creations.

• A performance by rhythm and blues producer and vocalist INEZ, a Homewood native and Cum Laude Berklee College of Music alumna. She will perform on the Highmark Stage from 10:45 until the fireworks finale begins at midnight.

Explore other First Night attractions here.

Slightly less crowded and more adult-oriented New Year's Eve activities in and around Pittsburgh include:

• The Gateway Clipper Fleet will have New Year's Eve cruises along the Monongahela, Allegheny and Ohio rivers.
  

• The party gets under way at 6 p.m. at Over Eden in Lawrenceville.

• The annual Pittsburgh New Year's Eve Bar Crawl will take you to such esteemed South Sides establishments as Jimmy D's, Urban Tap, Foxtail and Local.

• How about enjoying some retro gaming, craft cocktails, Latin street food, cornhole, shuffleboard, bocce & foosball? All of that can be found at the Shorty's Pins X Pints party on the North Shore.

• Always on the North Shore: The always-boisterous New Year's Eve bash at McFadden's.

If you're looking for kid-friendly events, you might want to try:

• The Noon Year's Eve Party at Bakery Square, featuring fun activities, snacks, a Noon Year's Eve countdown celebration and a brunch buffet.
  
• The Glow Year's Eve Party at Legacy Lanes in Baldwin. Tickets will get you bowling, shoe rental, two slices of pizza, unlimited soda, an apple juice toast, party hats, noise makers and glow bracelets.

Click here for more New Year's Eve options around town.