Holiday Lights, Festivals And Celebrations Fill The Upper St. Clair Calendar

UPPER ST. CLAIR, PA — With Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanzaa festivities filling the December calendar, the problem may be deciding which events to attend.

Outside these religious and cultural celebrations, there are plenty of holiday light shows, parades, fairs and festivals to attend. Here are some to consider:

Holiday Lights, Kennywood, West Mifflin: In addition to the more than three million lights on display, there's also an all-new Gingerbread Junction that includes the newly re-themed Celebration Station, whee Santa will available for photos each operating day through December 23.

Also, the festivities will be headlined by the park's immersive experience where patrons will meet characters from the classic TV special "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and get a chance to take photos with Rudolph, Clarice, Bumble and Sam the Snowman.

Holiday Market, Pittsburgh Cultural District, Downtown: The event moves from its traditional location in Market Square, which is undergoing a multi-million dollar renovation, to Seventh Street and Penn Avenue near the Benedum Center.

The UPMC Rink at PPG Place, Downtown: Adjacent to Market Square, the rink in the plaza between Third and Fourth avenues in PPG Plaza already has opened. It's been a Pittsburgh tradition since 2001 and the rink was replaced with a larger version in 2015. At the center of the rink is a 60-foot-tall Christmas Tree with a 28-foot base that utilizes energy efficient LED lights that provide people with entertaining light shows.

As you plan your calendar, here are some key dates to consider:

• Hanukkah, the eight-day Jewish “festival of lights,” celebrated with a nightly menorah lighting, special prayers and fried foods, begins at sundown on Dec. 14 and continues until sundown on Dec. 22. The dates vary every year.

• Christmas, of course, is always Dec. 25.

• Kwanzaa, a weeklong celebration primarily held in the United States to honor African heritage and African-American culture, is observed from Dec. 26-Jan. 1, culminating with gift-giving and a lavish feast. The dates of this holiday do not change.