While downtown Pittsburgh gears up for its annual chaos of Light Up Night, we prefer our sparkle with a little more serenity.

Even though Oakdale is not technically the South Hills, we love the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden so much it deserved a shoutout. Dazzling Nights returns to the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden on Nov 28, transforming the woods into a mile-long wonderland of glowing gardens, lasers, and light sculptures that make even your neighbor’s yard inflatables look tasteful.

It’s back for its fourth year and this time, it’s up for Best Botanical Garden Holiday Lights in the USA Today Readers’ Choice Awards. You can vote once a day through Dec 1, so click like it’s a school levy.

Grab tickets at DazzlingPittsburgh.com and go see why we think this is the real Light Up Night.

On Dec 8, Uptown Coffee in Mt. Lebanon is serving something special: a Wigilia dinner, the traditional Polish Christmas Eve feast, minus the actual Eve part. Expect an excellent prix fixe meal, warm hospitality,  and enough pierogi energy to power the incline.

Spots are limited, so snag a reservation if you’re craving a side of Polish Christmas with your caffeine.

There’s a new Aldi in town, and judging by the traffic on Banksville Road, you’d think it was 8:30 AM on a Monday. The former Staples  has been reborn as the discount-grocery mecca, and if you didn’t bring your parking chair, you were probably circling forever for a spot.

Through opening weekend, you can enter to win a $500 Aldi gift card, which might just cover your weekly groceries and the gas you burned circling the parking lot.

Anthos — Now Open for Dinner
Your favorite breakfast and lunch Greek spot is now keeping the lights on later, every Thursday to Saturday until 8 PM. Expect all your lunchtime go-tos, a few rotating specials, and a cozy, BYOB evening vibe that pairs well with a red wine and zero guilt.

Pour Johnny’s Coffee — Castle Shannon’s New Early-Bird Fix
This newcomer quietly opened in October, and they’re already winning over the 6 AM crowd. Stop in weekdays 6-9 AM for their Sunrise Deal: a 12 oz drip for $1 or 16 oz for $2. Perfect for anyone who measures productivity in caffeine.

Ever dreamed of a house that says “I’m not just buying a home—I’m buying a landscape”? Meet this contemporary gem tucked into Upper St. Clair. It’s 4 bedrooms, 7 baths, and 5 acres of tree-filled backyard that includes a bridge to a waterfall (yes, you read that right). Floor-to-ceiling windows. Dramatic modern design. A heated pool + hot tub setup. Solar panels. Garage with EV charging.

You’ll probably buy it for impressive floor to ceiling windows, stay for the hot tub, and tell everyone you always wanted your very own bridge to your waterfall in your backyard.

Leaving the South Hills is an emotional commitment. But this weekend’s lineup across the rivers might actually be worth braving the Parkway crawl.

🥃 Wigle Wonderland
If you do cross the river, make it count. Wigle Wonderland is back, turning the Strip District distillery into a twinkly cocktail carnival on Fridays and Saturdays through November (plus Wed 11/26), then Thursday – Saturday all December.

Expect spiced whiskey, small bites, and the kind of warmth that makes you forget about parking meters.

⚽ USL Championship Final Watch Party
The Hounds are going for gold and Highmark’s keeping the lights on and live-streaming the championship match on the big screen. Join fellow fans for all the energy of a Riverhounds match, just without the team as they face FC Tulsa in Oklahoma.

🎟 Free entry, skyline views, and plenty of yelling encouraged. Bundle up, bring your scarf and cheer on the home team with one of the most electric fanbases.

👋 That’s it for this week. Thanks for reading, neighbors.

Have something you think deserves a little local love — a new business, fundraiser, or rumor that’s too good to waste at the coffee shop?

Email us at [email protected] and we just might spread the word