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Get the most interesting and important stories from the University of Pittsburgh.December may bring blustery weather, but there’s plenty of merriment and mirth to enjoy in and around Pittsburgh. From holiday lights to pinecone crafts to an ugly sweater contest at Neville Roller Drome, here's how to make the month memorable.
A holiday open house with a global spin
Sunday, Dec. 4, 12-4 p.m.
Hark, the holidays are here! What better way to celebrate the cultures and people who call Pittsburgh home than attending the Nationality Rooms and Intercultural Exchange Program’s 31st Holiday Open House?
The festivities feature a smorgasbord of fun: traditional crafts and foods, cultural demonstrations, world and holiday music, baked goods — and even an appearance by St. Nicholas. Each Nationality Room is decorated in the season’s splendor and will be open for viewing.
Where: Cathedral of Learning, 4200 Fifth Ave., Pittsburgh, PA, 15260
Tickets: Free
Practice your construction skills
Saturday, Dec. 10, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
The word of the day is sugar. Build a gingerbread house replete with a gumdrop chimney and a licorice-tiled roof at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh on the South Side. Children in fifth grade and under are welcome to participate with their families.
Where: Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh - South Side, 2205 East Carson St., Pittsburgh, PA, 15203
Tickets: This is an unticketed event
Get creative with pinecones
Sunday, Dec. 11, 1-3:30 p.m.
Spend an afternoon at the Jennings Environmental Education Center in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, crafting holiday decor from foraged natural materials. Bring home a spot of greenery for your mantle or an ornament for your tree.
Where: Jennings Environmental Education Center, 2951 Prospect Rd., Slippery Rock, PA, 16057
Tickets: $10, registration is required
Fun on four wheels
Sunday, Dec. 18, 5:30-9 p.m.
Accessorize ye gay apparel with roller skates. The Neville Roller Drome’s Christmas Skating Party is a night of live DJ sets, raffles and an ugly sweater contest.
Where: Neville Roller Drome, 5109 Neville Rd. Pittsburgh, PA, 15225
Tickets: $10
Take a citified stroll
Wednesday, Dec. 28, 6-8 p.m.
Join Venture Outdoors, a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit, for their Dahntahn Holiday Cheer Hike, a 4-5 mile walking tour of the city’s holiday light displays and seasonal fripperies.
Starting Location: Outside the Omni William Penn Hotel, 530 William Penn Pl., Pittsburgh, PA, 15219
Tickets: $8 for Venture Outdoor members and $10 for nonmembers
— Nichole Faina