Dec 2, 2018 14 min read

CLUBS

Montour Trail

The Friends of the Montour Trail in Bethel Park will hold its monthly meeting at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 4, in the Caucus Room behind the Council Chambers in the Bethel Park Municipal Building. Those interested in helping with and improving the trail are encouraged to attend. For more information, call Peter at 724-518-9251.

AUP Club

Association of University People is looking for single, four-year college graduates over 50 to join the group for monthly dinners and social gatherings. Upcoming events include a Holiday Dinner Dance on Dec. 5 at Chartiers Country Club. For information, call Liv at 412-580-3957. Guests are welcome. On Dec. 6, the River City Brass Band will perform Christmas Brasstacular at 7:30 p.m. at Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland. For tickets, call Bill at 412-657-7485. For more information, visit www.aupsinglespittsburgh.org.

Bethel Art Guild

The Bethel Art Guild will meet on Thursday, Dec. 6, at the Bethel Park Community Center located at 5151 Park Avenue. After a 12:30 p.m. business meeting, professional artist Jack Puglisi will discuss and give a demonstration of his primary medium, Pen and Ink.

Historical society

Peters Creek Historical Society’s annual “Soup and Stroll” open house will be held from noon to 4:30 p.m. Dec. 9, at the historic Enoch Wright House. For more information, visit peterscreekhistoricalsociety.org.

Bethel Woman’s Club

The Bethel Woman’s Club will meet on Dec. 12 at the South Hills Elks Lodge, 2789 South Park Road, Bethel Park. There will be a social gathering at 11:30 with the holiday basket raffle and bake sale, as well as the quilt raffle. Lunch will be served at noon, followed by entertainment from Irma Guard, musician and vocalist. Reservations can be made by calling Pat at 412-831-1861 no later than Dec. 7.

FUNDRAISERS

Holiday shopping event

Concordia of the South Hills, Mt. Lebanon, will host its first Holiday Shopping Event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 4, in the Independent Living Common Area. There will be a featuring a variety of vendors, crafts and auction items. The event is free. All proceeds benefit the CSH Caring Fund to provide benevolent care to those we serve and assist in providing quality-of- life improvements and activities for its residents. For more information, call 412-294-1306 or visit www.concordia-southhills.org.

Cookie sale

Holy Trinity Serbian Orthodox Cathedral will hold its annual cookie sale from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 8, at the church located at 450 Maxwell Drive, Whitehall. Cookies will be sold by the pound. There will also be nut rolls, apricot rolls, poppy seed rolls, nut horns, lady locks and more. There will be more than 50 different cookies available for sale. Cookies are $10 per pound; rolls are $14 each. Online preorders are being taken for the rolls, with pick up the days of the sale. To preorder, email htcnutroll@gmail.com with your name, phone number and item(s) you are ordering. Quantities are limited for pre-ordering.

Nut sale

McMurray Lions Club is selling Koeze Nut products, including cashews, mixed nuts, chocolates, caramel crunch and more. Purchase them as holiday gifts for family, friends and business associates. For a complete list of products and pricing, visit the club’s website at www.e-clubhouse.org/sites/mcmurray/. Proceeds go directly to help local Lions charities.

Lottery calendar sale

Saint Elizabeth Elementary School is holding two fundraisers. 2019 Lottery Calendars. are $30 with daily payouts of $50, nine days with a payout of $100, and two days at $150. Winners are determined based on the evening PA Lottery Pick 3 number- straight hit, first draw only. To request a specific number, contact the school office at 412- 881-2958 or email lbechtol@st-elizabeth.org. 2019 Enjoy Books are also being sold for $30 each through early December. They are available at the school or parish rectory.

HAPPENINGS

Tree lighting

Peters Township’s annual tree lighting will take place at 6 p.m. Dec. 2, at the Peters Township Library and Municipal Complex. Holiday music will be presented by the McMurray School Choir. There will be visits with Santa, crafts, refreshments and more. For more information, call the library at 724-941-9430 or the parks and recreation office at 724-942-5000.

Free concert

St. Germaine Church, Bethel Park, will hold a concert in preparation for the Advent season and featuring the choirs from St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Virgin, St. Germaine, Nativity and St. Valentine churches. The concert will be held at 7 p.m. Dec. 2 at St. Germaine’s located at 7003 Baptist Road. A cookie reception/meet and greet will take place before the concert, beginning at 6. For more information, visit the St. Germaine Music Ministry Facebook page or call 412-833-0661.

Chanukah Festival

The Annual South Hills Lights Community Chanukah Festival will begin at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 3, with a Giant Menorah Lighting and Mega Gelt on the corner of Potomac and Belrose avenues. A Chanukah Musical Laser Light Show and festivities at the Hollywood Theater on Potomac Avenue will follow. There will be live music, latkas, doughnuts, prizes and festivities for all ages at the free event. RSVP appreciated at www.chabadsh.com/ights, 412-244-2424 or mussie@chabadsh.com. There will be a complimentary shuttle running from the Dormont Pool parking lot to the festival.

Christmas play

Crossroads Ministries, Finleyville, will present “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” at 7 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, Dec. 6-8. There will also be a 1 p.m. show on Saturday. Tickets are $6 and include a dessert reception following each presentation. “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” is the story of Imogene, Claude, Ralph, Leroy, Ollie and Gladys Herdman — six delinquent children, who were engaged in misfit behavior for their age. They go to church for the first time after being told that the church offers snacks. Despite protests from other church members, they are given roles in the Sunday school’s Christmas play and tell the Christmas story in a “non-conventional” fashion. Tickets are available at www.crsmin.com. Crossroads Ministries is located at 81 Walter Long Road.

Holiday concerts

Resonance Works expands its holiday tradition this year with A Joyous Sound! Performances are 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 7, at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Upper St. Clair, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 9, at Third Presbyterian Church in Shadyside. The family-friendly concerts will be under 90 minutes with no intermission, and there will be goodies from Sweet Bites Cookies for all. Zone seating is offered, with tickets starting at $25. To purchase tickets, visit www.resworks.org/tickets or call 412-501-3330. For information, visit www.resonanceworks.org.

Musical

The Heritage Players will present the musical, “Jesus Christ Superstar” Dec. 7-9 at the Seton Center, 1900 Pioneer Avenue, Brookline. Friday and Saturday performances are at 8 p.m., with a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. Box office opens one half hour before curtain. Tickets are $15 at the door or may be reserved in advance online. For more information and reservations, visit www.heritageplayers.org, or call 412-254-4633.

Cookies with Santa

Join Spencer Y in Bethel Park for Cookies with Santa from 10 a.m. to noon on Dec. 8. There will also be games, crafts and a holiday movie in the Community Room. The event is open to members and nonmembers alike.

Handbell concert

Three Rivers Ringers, Pittsburgh’s Premier Handbell Ensemble, will perform “Holiday Bells n’at” as part of its eight-installment Winter Concert Series. The concert will take place at 4 p.m. Dec. 8, at Center Presbyterian Church, 255 Center Church Road, McMurray. Admission is free, but donations are accepted. Refreshments will follow the concert. For more information, visit threeriversringers.org.

Live nativity

Community of Christ Church located at 3472 South Park Road in Bethel Park will hold a free drive-thru, luminaria-lit live nativity from 6 to 9 p.m. Dec. 15. Volunteers are needed at 10:30 a.m. Dec. 8 to help with scenery set up and repair, costume repair and ironing, luminaria jug preparation, and dressing area set up. Volunteers are again needed at 10 a.m. Dec. 15 to finalize scenery preparations, and beginning at 5 p.m. volunteers of all ages, from toddlers to seniors, are needed to be in costume in the scenes. For more information, contact Janet at 412-805-7194 or jmyer374@gmail.com.

Holiday events

Two holiday events will take place from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, at Christ United Methodist Church, 44 Highland Road, Bethel Park. Breakfast with Santa featuring pancakes will be held in the Christian Life Center at the church. Cost is a donation. Proceeds benefit Round Table Ministries. A cookie sale will be held in the Community Square at the church. Home-baked cookies will be sold for $8 per pound and Rada Cutlery will be available for purchase. Proceeds benefit United Methodist Women mission projects.

Christmas Palooza

Bethel Presbyterian Church in Bethel Park will hold Christmas Palooza from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 9, for families with young children, ages one through fourth grade. Decorate cookies, make crafts, play games and watch “A Charlie Brown Christmas” while enjoying hot chocolate. To ensure adequate supplies, registration is required with names of parents and each child attending. Food allergies should be included. Registration forms are available at the church office at 2999 Bethel Church Road and at www.bethelpresby.org. Forms should be turned in to the church by Dec. 7.

Holiday concert

Bethel Park Community Foundation presents Dean Streator Holiday Tower Concert at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 9, at the Bethel Park Community Center. The concert will feature Community Band South, Bethel Park High School Top 21 and hand bell ringers of Southminster Presbyterian Church. Admission is free, but donations are accepted to benefit the foundation.

Staged reading

On Dec. 9, ‘Burgh Vivant will present a staged reading of the classic comedy play “Auntie Mame,” at The New Hazlett Theater, Pittsburgh. The lobby will open at 5:30 p.m., with several raffle items of “Auntie Mame” memorabilia. Based on the bestselling novel by Patrick Dennis, the story details the madcap adventures of a young orphan left in the care of his aunt, an eccentric Manhattan socialite. The production will be a staged reading, accompanied by theatrical video projections and sound effects. Tickets are $35 at burghvivant.org.

Live theater

Pittsburgh Public Theater presents “Sweat” through Dec. 9, at the O’Reilly Theater, Downtown Pittsburgh. Set in Reading, Lynn Nottage’s play, winner of the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, tells the story of what happens to a group of friends when their union jobs are in jeopardy. Mt. Lebanon’s Amy Landis has a role in this 2017 Pulitzer Prize-winning drama. For tickets, call 412-316-1600, go to ppt.org, or visit the O’Reilly Theater Box Office.

Living history

Woodville Plantation, Bridgeville, presents “An Evening of Music from Christmas Past” from 5 to 8 p.m. Dec. 9. Enjoy a traditional 18th century Christmas with music around the pianoforte and a tour of the Neville House by candlelight, decorated for Christmas. Refreshments and sweets will be served in the Still House. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children age 6 through 12. Children under age 6 are free. This is the last open day of the 2018 season. For more information, visit www.woodvilleplantation.org.

Holocaust exhibit

Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh’s newest exhibit, Stitching History from the Holocaust, will be on display until Dec. 10. The multimedia exhibit will feature fashion designs and explore the lives of Czech couple Paul and Hedy Strnad and their failed attempt to escape the onslaught of Nazi Germany. Admission is $5 per person. For gallery hours, visit http://hcofpgh.org.

Toys for Tots

Musuneggi Financial Group’s 12th Annual Toys for Tots holiday donation party will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. Dec. 12, at the company’s offices located at 1910 Cochran Road, Manor Oak Two, Suite 520, Green Tree. Bring a new, unwrapped toy donation for the United States Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots program. Student government members from South Fayette High School will be on hand to “stuff a bus” will the toy donations. The South Fayette High School Orchestra will perform at 4. Those unable to attend may drop off a toy during regular office hours, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays until Dec. 12. For more information, call 412-341-2888 ext. 312 or email info@mfgplanners.com.

Car seat safety

Car seat safety checks by certified car seat technicians will be offered from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 13, at Peters Township Fire Department, 245 East McMurray Road, McMurray. There is no charge for this service. To schedule an appointment, call 724-941-4176.

Live theater

off the WALL Productions, the professional resident acting company at Carnegie Stage, announces its 2018-19 season, featuring one world premiere, one U.S. premiere, and one Pittsburgh premiere in the acting company’s three-play program. Performances include: “Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol,” through Dec. 15; “Mumburger,” March 1-16, 2019; “World Builders,” May 3-18. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.insideoffthewall.com or call the box office at 724-873-3576 ext. 1.

Live theater

PICT Classic Theatre will present the first production of its 2018-2019 season, “The Old Curiosity Shop,” at WQED’s Fred Rogers Studio in Oakland. Performances run through Dec. 15. For more information, visit www.picttheatre.org or call 412-561-6000.

LIBRARIES

Andrew Carnegie

“The Nutcracker,” presented by Carnegie Performing Arts Center, Dec. 7-16. Visit the library’s website for performance dates and times.

For more, visit www.carnegiecarnegie.org. Register at 412-276-3456.

Bethel Park

• Drive-in Movie, 6:30 p.m. Dec. 5. Decorate homemade cars (constructed by staff and teen volunteers) before the show starts at 7. Pick up a “theater” ticket at the children’s desk, along with $5 in funny money for the concession stand. The event is for ages 3-6 with a caregiver. Register.

• Victorian Christmas Traditions, 2 p.m. Dec. 6. Register.

• 3D Needle Felted Snowman, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Dec. 6. Class is appropriate for both beginners and experienced needle felters. Space is limited. Register.

For more, visit www.bethelparklibrary.org. Register at 412-835-2207.

Bridgeville

• Holiday Candle Craft, 6 p.m. Dec. 5, for adults. Register by Dec. 3.

• Friends of the Library Annual Festival of Trees Celebration, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Dec. 8. Door prizes, a ticket auction, live music, pictures with Santa and Santa magic show, crafting corner and more. Admission is $3 per person, with children under 3 admitted free.

For more, visit bridgevillelibrary.org.

Castle Shannon

• Gingerbread House Making, 6:30 p.m. Dec. 4. Graham crackers and icing will be provided; bring candy. Register.

• Breakfast with Santa, 10 a.m. Dec. 8. Tickets are on sale now and sell out quickly.

• Monthly Book Discussion Group, 7 p.m. Dec. 10. Read “Mrs. Miracle” by Debbie Macomber.

For more, visit castleshannonlibrary.org.

Frank Sarris

• Teen Advisory Board, 6 to 7 p.m. Dec. 3. Students in grades 7-12 meet to plan, organize and lead activities that will engage and benefit members of the community. New members welcome.

• Spanish Story Time, 10:30 to 11 a.m. Dec. 7

• Fiction Book Club, noon on Dec. 12. Discuss “Big Stone Gap” by Adriana Trigiani and enjoy a holiday gathering. New members welcome.

Register at 724-745-1308. www.franksarrislibrary.org.

Mt. Lebanon

Hanukkah Celebration, 4 p.m. Dec. 6. This is a free, family-friendly story time and craft event.

For more, visit www.mtlebanonlibrary.org.

Peters

• Tree Lighting Ceremony and Holiday Party, 6 p.m. Dec. 2.

• Gingerbread House Decorating, 6:30 p.m. Dec. 2

For more, visit www.ptlibrary.org.

Scott

• Polymer and Clay Miniature Class (Session 1), 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Dec. 4, for teens and adults. Supplies provided. Space is limited. Preregister via email at loizesm@einetwork.net.

• Seasonal Arts & Crafts, 3:30 to 5 p.m. Dec. 5, for adults. All skill levels welcome. Supplies provided. Come anytime during the program. Register.

• Holiday Gifts, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Dec. 6, for adults. Make soup in a jar. Supplies provided. Space is limited. Register.

• Holiday Cookie Exchange, noon to 1 p.m. Dec. 8, for adults. Bring three-dozen cookies to share. Submit a recipe by Dec. 6 to HoweLLL@einetwork.net to be included in the cookie exchange recipe booklet. Register at the circulation desk or by phone.

• Decorate a Gingerbread House, 3 to 4:30 p.m. Dec. 9, for children of all ages. Supplies provided. Register.

• Make It Mondays – Cookie Decorating, 3 to 5 p.m. Dec. 10, for children of all ages. Register.

For more, visit www.scottlibrary.org. Register online or call 412-429-5380.

South Fayette

Paint a Holiday Picture, 7 to 9 p.m. Dec. 4, at the South Fayette Senior Center. Paint a 10-inch by 10-inch picture of a holiday wreath on a white door. Cost is $5 per person. Register and pay at the circulation desk.

For more, visit southfayettelibrary.org. Register online or call 412-257-8660.