Kennywood's Open for Holiday Lights in the Park

Kennywood Park is all lit up for the holidays and some rides are open too.

Missing that huge display of holiday lights at Hartwood Acres? There's an alternative. More than 1 million dazzling lights and displays are illuminating Kennywood Park for the holiday season. Kennywood Holiday Lights will run from 5 to 9 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights, through Dec. 30, plus Wednesday and Thursday, Dec. 26 and 27.  These rides are open during Holiday Lights: Gingerbread Express (Olde Kennywood RR), Merry-Go-Round, Paratrooper, Kangaroo, Ghostwood Estate (with a special holiday theme), Turtle, Auto Race, and up to nine Kiddieland rides. And forget the holiday cookies—the Potato Patch is open! Among the other attractions: Admission is $14.99 a person at the gate, plus a $1 amusement tax. Participating Giant Eagle …

• Photos (2)

Patch Poll: Should Allegheny County End Celebration of Lights at Hartwood?

County Executive Rich Fitzgerald says Allegheny County cannot afford the annual light show due to costs and a lack of sponsors. Should the holiday-themed show go on anyway?

Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald announced Monday that the county will discontinue the annual holiday-themed Celebration of Lights at Hartwood Acres Park due to high costs and declining sponsorships. The county-owned park spanning property in Hampton and Indiana townships has been the longtime site and the county Department of Parks and Recreation has overseen the annual three-mile driving tour of displays depicting Christmas, Hanukkah and winter themes. Contributions from visitors have been earmarked for Project Bundle-up, a project by WTAE and the Salvation Army to outfit needy children and senior citizens with coats and cold-weather gear. In past years, the Celebration of Lights has been known to generate long lines of traffic…

•  5 Comments
• Photos (1)

Josh Meeder

8:47 am on Thursday, September 13, 2012

This is a great arguement for the need for sustainability and fiscal accountability in projects and local government. This festival is an extravagant waste of electricity and auto emissions ( as most cars slowly idle through the course). While the community gets some notoriety , the is no lasting encomonic impact, especially to the local small businesses. People come, drive through, and leave. …   more ›

Photo Gallery: Weather Cooperates for Music Festival at Hartwood Acres

Rusted Root plays to a large crowd for the Allegheny County Music Festival; proceeds benefit underprivileged children.

The forecast was iffy for Sunday, but the actual weather couldn’t have worked out better for everyone who attended the Allegheny County Music Festival at Hartwood Acres. Headliner Rusted Root had fans dancing to the band’s percussion-heavy sound, some forming a conga line to weave through the crowd as the group played old favorites and new numbers of its soon-to-be-released album. Opening were an assortment of acts: students from the We Rock program, conducted by Rusted Root singer-percussionist Liz Berlin; the bands Lightning Box and The Red Western; and young North Hills singer Jaira Burns. The concert had a tremendous turnout, with the  proceeds going to the Allegheny County Music Festival Fund,  _____________________ Keeping up with …

• Photos (18)

Mountain Bike Festival Features Trails at North Park, Hartwood Acres and Boyce Park

The Seventh Annual Allegheny County Mountain Bike Festival will be held July 13-15.

Mountain bikers will be wending their way through trails in North Park, Hartwood Acres and Boyce Park during a three-day festival this month. The Allegheny County Parks Department, in partnership with the Pittsburgh Trails Advocacy Group and Pittsburgh Off-Road Cyclists, is hosting the Seventh Annual Allegheny County Mountain Bike Festival from July 13 to 15.  All ages are welcome to participate in the free, organized rides, but a rider’s skill level must be “advanced beginner” or above. “Allegheny County arguably has some of the best mountain biking opportunities of any major urban area,” said County Parks Director Andy Baechle. “Within an hour’s drive of downtown Pittsburgh, there are an abundance of trails suitable for everyone from …

• Photos (1)

Day Tripper

Day Tripper Discovers the Details Behind the Decorations at Hartwood Acres Mansion

Holiday embellishments and candlelight tours mark the holiday season at the historic mansion.

The holidays bring a variety of seasonal activities, and one of my favorite holiday traditions is visiting the Hartwood Mansion at Hartwood Acres. Every year, volunteers decorate the mansion for the holiday season. A few weeks ago, I had a sneak preview of this year’s adornments. It is a must visit for history lovers as well as for those who enjoy the holidays. Hartwood Acres, which is in Indiana and Hampton townships, is part of the Allegheny County Park system. The mansion was once home to John and Mary Flinn Lawrence. Mary was the daughter of William Flinn, a Pittsburgh construction baron in the late 1800s. Even without the holiday ornamentation, the mansion is beautiful. The Lawrences commissioned architect Alfred Hopkins to …

• Photos (7)

Hartwood Acres Welcomes Holiday Season with a 'Walk Through the Lights'

The seventh annual event allows people to walk through the park and enjoy its celebration of lights.

Visitors can walk through Hartwood Acres' famous UPMC Celebration of Lights on Wednesday to see the beautiful bigger-than-life lighted displays of Santa, his reindeer, bears, toy soldiers and much more. The Allegheny County Parks Department is hosting "Walk through the Lights" at the 629-acre park in Hampton and Indiana townships. This is a walk or run purely for fun -- no stopwatches needed.  Free glow sticks and jingle bells will be provided for all participants. Refreshments also will be available along the way.  The path is a 3.2-mile loop with several shortcuts that reduce the distance to as little as 2.5 miles. The path will be closed to vehicles on this day. Parking will be available at the Hampton Township Municipal Complex parking…

• Photos (1)

Hayrides, Little Green Aliens Part of Fun at Festival Promoting Green Principles

Allegheny County pairs Green & Innovation Festival with Hay Day this year at Hartwood Acres.

Hayrides, journals made from recycled books, fair-trade ice cream, solar panels, chickens and little green aliens all were part of the festivities Saturday at Hartwood Acres. The second annual Allegheny Green & Innovation Festival brought out more than 80 organizations devoted to green-living principles and technology along with sustainable food vendors and crafters. Hundreds of visitors learned new ideas to incorporate into their lifestyles while also enjoying hayrides and mazes as part of the annual Hay Day, celebrated on the same day as the festival. Allegheny County combined the two events this year to make the festival more attractive to families with children. The county also moved the event from August to September with hopes of …

• Photos (9)

Going Green Is Theme of Festival at Hartwood Acres

Allegheny Green & Innovation Festival partners with Hay Day for a family-friendly event.

A world of recycling, rain gardens and organic foods will be at your fingertips Saturday as simple ways to live a green and sustainable lifestyle go on display at Hartwood Acres. The second annual Allegheny Green & Innovation Festival from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the 629-acre park in Hampton and Indiana townships.  The festival is part of Allegheny County’s efforts to introduce green and sustainable practices that people can incorporate into their everyday lives, according to Darla Cravotta, special projects coordinator for the event. “Many people think you have to undertake large projects or make huge changes in their lives, but [they] want to introduce little changes they can make right away and easily, along with maybe some of those larger…

• Photos (5)

'Paws for the Cure' Benefit Takes Place Oct. 2 at Hartwood Acres

Registration is $25 for adults and $15 for children 17 and younger, and includes a Paws for the Cure T-shirt.

A Paws for the Cure benefit to kick off National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in Pittsburgh will take place at 10 a.m. Sunday at Hartwood Acres in Allison Park.  Led by WTAE-TV’s Sally Wiggin and Shelley Duffy of STAR 100.7 FM, the event for pups and their people is being hosted by the Pittsburgh affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Participants — with or without dogs — can stroll a one-mile or nearly two-mile course through scenic Hartwood Acres, shop at vendor and sponsor tents, and try their pets’ luck at contests and games. Entertainment will include music by local artist Sydney Hutchko, raffles and agility demonstrations. Registration for Paws for the Cure is $25 for adults and $15 for children 17 and younger, and includes a …

• Photos (1)

Get Out Weekend Planner: Art Show, Plant Sale, Run/Walk

A show of beautiful, original artwork by Pine-Richland School District students and several runs/walks make for a busy weekend.

1. More than 3,000 pieces of artwork will be featured this weekend at Pine-Richland School District’s Secondary Art Show. When/Where: Thursday, May 19, to Saturday, May 21, at Pine-Richland Middle School, 100 Logan Road in Gibsonia. Show times are 6 - 9 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, 2 - 9 p.m. on Saturday. Why go: This is a wonderful opportunity to see original work by district students in grades 7 to 12. Price: Free. 2. The Plant Sale at the Northern Tier Library continues through Friday. When/Where: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, May 19, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, May 20, at Northern Tier Library, 4015 Dickey Road, Gibsonia. Why go: The plants are beautiful, well priced and sales benefit the library. Price: Free but bring your …

• Photos (1)