peduto | It's Christmas 365

In short: The gingerbread houses at PPG Place’s Winter Garden were gentrified.

After more than 15 years of calling PPG Place home, the gingerbread displays were ousted to allow for Highwood Properties (owners of PPG Place) to use the Winter Garden space for private functions such as weddings and corporate holiday functions.

So, the 2018 holiday season was the final year for the gingerbread displays at Winter Garden.

But, never fear, the city government stepped in and rescued the gingerbread displays. (Some of the ingredients of a Hallmark Channel Christmas movie plot are here.)

In 2019, the competition and display moved to the City-County Building, where it was right-sized for the space in the lobby. In 2020, the competition was virtual.

For 2021, winning gingerbread houses will be displayed behind glass and viewable from the City-County Building portico on Grant Street, according to the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership.

Find more information about the display here.

Pittsburgh’s 106th Christmas tree sure has one great glow-up story.

On Nov. 13, city crews moved the massive blue spruce from Lincoln Place to the City-County Building on Grant Street ahead of Pittsburgh’s 2021 Light Up Night, which is planned for Nov. 20.

While the tree grew up and spent most of its growing life in Lincoln Place, it got its start Downtown.

How?

The tree was one of two decorative trees that stood out front of the Pennsylvanian at Grant Street and Liberty Avenue, the city said. Following a holiday season then, Chris Fuga, who once worked at the Pennsylvanian, took the trees home.

Fuga planted both of the trees. Only one survived.

The city says the Fuga family decorated the tree every holiday season “until it became too big to continue decorating.”

Celebrate the tree’s official lighting on Nov. 20 at Light Up Night.