Pick your side of town
Each route starts and ends in its own part of Pittsburgh, built so the three hours go to the lights — not the commute.
1. The Skyline Route — Mt. Washington & Downtown
- Grandview Avenue overlook — the whole city lit up below you to start the night.
- Phipps Holiday Magic! Winter Light Garden (Nov 20–Jan 10) — glowing orbs, a colour-changing snowflake tree, and the poinsettia towers inside the glasshouse.
- Market Square (market runs Nov 20–Dec 24) — the Peoples Gas Holiday Market chalets and the 65-foot tree standing in the middle of the PPG Place ice rink.
- Grant Street drive-past — the City-County Building's official tree and the Pittsburgh Crèche, then back up the Mount for the skyline in full dark.
Why it works: the greatest hits in one tight loop, about two and a half hours of lights with time to spare. One-night upgrade: Light Up Night itself, Saturday Nov 21.
2. The McKnight Road North Pole Run — North Hills & Cranberry
- Christmas on Kinvara, Ross Township (from Dec 1) — a single house whose entire display dances to the music, a new show every half hour.
- Baker Family Christmas, Cranberry — the famous Hedge Row Court synchronized mega-display.
- Fun Fore All Holiday Lights Mini Golf (Nov 20–Jan 3) — both 18-hole courses turned into walk-through light displays you can actually play.
Why it works: the suburbs go hardest on home displays, and this route strings the two most famous together with a playable light show in the middle. Runs Dec 1–Jan 3 in full.
3. The Overly's Run — Monroeville & the East
- Overly's Country Christmas, Greensburg (select nights, Nov 19–Dec 30) — a short drive-through display on the way in, then a walk-around Christmas village: the talking tree, the model-train station, Santa's workshop, wagon rides, and the bonfire.
- Irwin's Main Street lights roll past the windows on the ride out — no stop, all glow.
Why it works: Overly's is the region's most-loved Christmas tradition, and it's a haul in the dark. The bus turns the drive into part of the night — your group rides together, and nobody's dad white-knuckles the Turnpike home. Stated plainly: this is the long-haul route, roughly an hour at Overly's inside the three hours.
4. The Kennywood Run — Carrick & the South Hills
- Brodzinski Family Light Show, Whitehall — 30,000+ lights on one house, synced to music you hear on the bus radio (88.5 FM).
- Kennywood Holiday Lights — more than three million lights, the tallest Christmas tree in Pennsylvania, 20+ rides open, and the lagoon light show. About 75 minutes inside the park.
Why it works: Kennywood runs Fridays–Sundays Nov 13–Dec 13, then daily Dec 18–Jan 3 — which makes this the rare light tour that works on a holiday-week weeknight.
5. The Sewickley Loop — Sewickley & the Northwest
- Sewickley Village — Beaver Street's decorated shopping district, plus Light Up Night on Friday Dec 4 if you time it right.
- Pittsburgh Botanic Garden — Winter Wonderlights (select nights, Nov 27–Jan 2) — a walk-through light garden in the woods in Oakdale. On nights it's dark, the Moon Park holiday drive-through swaps in.
- Christmas Light-Up, Clinton (Nov 21–Jan 2, every night) — a full mile of drive-through lights through wooded Clinton Park, a local tradition since 1993.
Why it works: three completely different kinds of lights — a village stroll, a garden walk, and a classic drive-through — in one easy loop west of the city.
Book a light tour
Three hours, the whole bus, up to 14 people: $600 Monday–Thursday · $750 Friday–Sunday. December weeknights go first — they're the same lights with half the crowds. Walk-up attractions on the routes (Kennywood, Phipps, Overly's, the Botanic Garden) sell their own admission; the bus, the driver, and the route are ours.
Book the bus: bookedsolidservices.com/party
Call or text 412-200-0119
Ron's Partybus · Pittsburgh, PA · Christmas light tours, date nights, concerts, games, weddings & nights out.
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