Winter weather has arrived in Pittsburgh, but it’s no reason to stay inside all the time. Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy staff has planned a schedule of free and accessible programs for all ages in the city’s green spaces despite the cooler temperatures and the possibility of white stuff.
Its winter programming started last month with the unveiling of Aurora: Illuminating the Holiday Magic of Mellon Square. In collaboration with Shiftworks and light installation artist Joshua Challen Ice, Aurora offers Downtown visitors and residents a blend of art, light and entertainment through mid-January.
“Mellon Square is typically closed each year beginning in early November. We’re thrilled to be opening the park this year and turning it into a winter gathering space for the holiday season,” conservancy Director of Operations and Visitor Engagement Matthew Hileman said in a news release. “We’ve put together an exciting lineup of events and holiday-themed performances that will draw visitors to the park and invite them to experience the magic of Aurora.”
Saturdays in the Square runs every Saturday through Dec. 28 with live music, tasty bites and beverages, and performances. Featured events and attractions include the Mellon Square Holly Trolley, Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre appearances, Best Bites & The Holiday Hop food and fun tours, and a rendition of Duke Ellington’s “Jazz Nutcracker” by the Adam Lee Morgan Orchestra. Visit pittsburghparks.org/msq to see the entire schedule.
Other winter highlights include another new offering, Trail Tours in Hays Woods Park, plus the Lichen Walks in Frick and Schenley parks, Birding Pittsburgh’s Parks in Allegheny Commons and Highland Park, Winter Seed Sowing 101 with Bird Lab, among others.
The Trail Tours in Hays Woods Park promise discovery, community-building and hot cocoa. “We’ve seen a lot of community interest in Hays Woods Park, and yet a lot of folks still aren’t aware of all this urban forest has to offer,” Ecological Restoration Coordinator for Hays Woods Park Jared Belsky said in the release. “We’re hoping our trail tours will become a recurring series where community members can come together for a hike, discover new areas, and learn about the importance of the ecological restoration efforts taking place in the park and how they can get involved.”
Those tours are scheduled for Jan. 11 and Feb. 12. Participants will meet at the Agnew Trailhead entrance at 11:30 a.m.
Birding remains a popular activity. “Winter is a great time for birding in Pittsburgh’s parks,” Naturalist Educator Stephen Bucklin said in the news release. “Birds can remain active even during extreme cold weather, thanks to adaptations they’ve developed over time. Some of these are physiological, such as down feathers, while others are behavioral, like foraging in groups to improve success at finding seeds, spiders and insect eggs, or huddling together while they sleep to stay warm.”
Those group events will take place monthly, with some location changes from month to month, according to the conservancy program guide. Highland Park is the setting for one on Feb. 10 from 8 to 9:30 a.m.; participants will meet at the entry garden and walk up to Lake Carnegie to look for waterfowl.
Lichen walks will take place on Saturday from 1 to 3:30 p.m. at Schenley Park and the same time on Jan. 26 at Frick Park, with a $10 fee charged for the events.
Boom Concepts will present its “Collective Legacy II” exhibition for Frick Environmental Center visitors to learn about the intersection of nature and art. It opens Saturday and features diverse practices, experiences and influences, highlighting over 50 years of regional Black arts. The display is part of a larger exhibit hosted across multiple venues in Pittsburgh. An artist talk will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. Feb. 15.
The Discovery Time series returns to the Frick Environmental Center, offering children 3 to 8 years old a hands-on opportunity to learn about animals and their habitats from conservancy naturalist educators. The next session, “Things With Wings,” is set for 1 to 3 p.m. Jan. 19.
Other Frick Park activities include a hike with a naturalist focused on winter tree identification from 1 to 3 p.m. Feb. 9, led by Bucklin; an afternoon of tea and shared readings with the Tea & Honey Book Club presented by Write Pittsburgh from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Feb. 15, part of an intergenerational gathering series and the National Endowment for the Arts Big Read Program; a Story Hike: Swirl by Swirl for ages 3 to 8 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Feb. 15 that includes a reading of “Swirl by Swirl: Spirals in Nature” by Joyce Sidman followed by a brief hike.
Registration for select events is required. Click here to view the complete guide or to view the complete schedule, please visit pittsburghparks.org/events.
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