Spectacular Holiday Lighting Display To Adorn Pittsburgh Park | Pittsburgh, PA Patch

Oct 15, 2024

PITTSBURGH, PA — Mellon Square in Downtown Pittsburgh will be decorated with a dazzling lights display this holiday season. The Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy announced Monday that the installation will debut, appropriately enough, on the city's annual Light-Up Night on Nov. 23.

The exhibition, titled "Aurora: Illuminating the Holiday Magic of Mellon Square" features hundreds of diamond-shaped panels that shift hues as they catch a breeze or respond to a person's touch. It was designed by Pittsburgh-based artist Joshua Challen Ice.

The installation will rise and dip as it bounces across pathways, stretches over the central fountain, and weaves through trees and gathering spaces, rising more than 25 feet high at its peak.

“Whether experienced from afar or up close, ‘Aurora’ invites all who visit to pause, reflect, and engage with the park in a new, dynamic way—adding an extra layer of brightness and wonder to the heart of Pittsburgh,” Ice said in a release.

In addition to the installation, the square will have heated igloos, a hot coca booth and "holi-sleighs." There also will be live musical performances and holiday choirs.

"By bringing the community together, we're celebrating Mellon Square as a downtown oasis that shines even brighter during winter," conservancy president Catherine Qureshi said. "We're excited to offer an immersive experience that invites residents and visitors alike to feel the warmth and wonder of the holidays in a whole new way."