2008 Pittsburgh Festival of Lights

10/10/2008

Introduced in 2007 and back by popular demand, building facades will once again be transformed into unique works of art created by some of the most accomplished international lighting designers working with cutting-edge technology and illumination techniques during the Pittsburgh 250 Festival of Lights.

The Festival will kick off Downtown on Friday evening, October 10 at Agnes Katz Plaza, and then premiere in Oakland on October 15.

With more than 20 lighting installation sites throughout the Pittsburgh area, the 2008 installation will be the largest light festival of its kind in the United States. Timed to coincide with the height of the visual and performance art schedule, the goal is to get local residents and tourists into key cultural areas to experience not only this unique form of artistic lighting, but experience and support the tremendous array of entertainment and culture in this region.

All lighting installations will be free to the public to encourage visitors to explore the surrounding neighborhoods. Lighting designs will rotate at the various locations, and outdoor stages and dance floors will be set up in Downtown and Oakland adjacent to the installations to showcase a wide variety of local performance artists and create a festival atmosphere.

Walking maps will be distributed at lighting sites and will be available for download from pittsburghcelebrates.org, and new this year, Just Ducky Tours and Molly's Trolleys will conduct tours to visit lighting installations.

Pittsburgh Restaurant Week is Back!

Based on the popularity of last year's Pittsburgh Restaurant Week, this epicurean delight will once again return during the Festival of Lights, November 3-9, appropriately themed "A little light fare". In addition to their regular menus, participating restaurants will offer a three-course, prix-fixe dinner menu for $35.00 / person.

Installation Locations

Downtown

  • Artistic Lighting Installations

    • Katz Plaza
    • Omni William Hotel
    • Penn Avenue and Ninth
    • David L. Lawrence Convention Center

  • Architectural Lighting Installations

    • Trinity Cathedral
    • First Presbyterian Church
    • Church of the Epiphany
    • First Evangelical Lutheran Church
    • Smithfield United Church
    • St. Stanislaus Church

Oakland / East End

  • Artistic Lighting Installations

    • Cathedral of Learning
    • Stephen Foster Memorial

  • Architectural Lighting Installations

    • Heinz Chapel
    • Saint Paul's Cathedral
    • Rodef Shalom Congregation
    • Bellefield Presbyterian Church
    • Sacred Heart Parish
    • Calvary Episcopal Church
    • East Liberty Presbyterian Church
    • Eastminster Church

Additional Architectural Lighting Installations

  • Calvary United Methodist Church
  • Emmanuel Episcopal Church
  • Saint Mary of the Mount
  • Sri Venkateswara Temple