A BRIGHTER OUTLOOK
Light Up Night weekend brings hope, excitement for small business owners
Linda Voytko said she could feel the holiday spirit in the air as she walked through the Peoples Gas Holiday Market in Market Square.
Ms. Voytko, 54, of Ambridge, was one of many who braved the cold to kick off the 60th annual Highmark Light Up Night this weekend in Downtown Pittsburgh. Light Up Night usually is held on Friday, but it was moved to Saturday this year. The Holiday Market opened for the season Friday.
“I’m glad they moved it to [Saturday],” Ms. Voytko said as she visited the market Friday evening. “Now I have two things to do this weekend.”
The 10th annual Holiday Market featured over 25 vendors, who sell locally made and international gift items in Market Square. It is open daily, except on Thanksgiving Day, and closes Dec. 23. Last winter, the Holiday Market was only open for a limited time due to a state mandate with increasing COVID-19 cases throughout Pennsylvania.
“We’re at a place now to get together and celebrate,” Ms. Voytko said.
Events on Saturday for Light Up Night included the illumination of the city’s 45-foot-tall evergreen tree at the City-County Building on Grant Street, musical entertainment, fireworks, a light show and food trucks.
In conjunction with the tree lighting, the 19th annual Gingerbread House Display and Competition unveiled dozens of houses displayed in the windows of the CityCounty Building’s portico. That display is open to the public through Jan. 7.
Duquesne University students Elyssa El-Hajj, 21, of Cleveland, and Allie Supinski, 21, of Philadelphia, made the trip down Forbes Avenue to participate in the festivities.
“It’s a great thing,” Ms. El-Hajj said. “I love the Christmas markets; it’s very cute and everyone’s super nice.”
Both Ms. El-Hajj and Ms. Supinski noted the diversity and international flair of the vendors.
“It keeps the Christmas tradition alive,” Ms. El-Hajj said. “There’s so many different traditions and ways of celebrating and different artistries that are from all
around the world, and it’s really cool for all of them to be around here.”
At the Pittsburgh Irish Festival Celtic Gift Shoppe, employee Diane Oliver said people seemed to be more willing to mingle and shop.
“[The people] make it real fun and enjoyable to be in the cold, and you get a different variety of age range from young to old,” Ms. Oliver said.
Ms. Oliver said that last year’s shortened Holiday Market was “disappointing.” But, both she and coworker Stephanie Hogan have high hopes for what this year has in store.
“Hopefully with the vaccine being out this year, and [COVID-19 case] numbers going down, we’ll be able to stay open longer,” Ms. Hogan said.
For Neil Lyons, an employee at the Pittsburgh Pottery stand, it was “great to be back Downtown” for the festivities. Pittsburgh Pottery, which sells Pittsburgh-themed ceramics, mugs, magnets and other pottery, is located in Carnegie. Being Downtown, store owner Blake Anthony said, provides “awesome exposure.”
“It’s a good opportunity to get in front of the eyes of Downtown Pittsburgh folks, to spread the good word that you can come get this stuff in Carnegie,” Mr. Anthony said.
Despite the stresses small business owners faced last year due to the pandemic — the unknowns of product inventory, employment and demand, for example — Mr. Anthony said he predicts this holiday season will be the “best ever.”
“I think people want to take home the product that they see and feel, kind of some backlash to the online culture of buying and selling,” Mr. Anthony said. “People might be growing tired of that.”
Adele Morelli, owner of Boutique La Passerelle on Wood Street, said she feels that small business owners “might be back on track for a normal holiday season.”
“I had a good October, and I don’t think it was a blip. I’m hoping that it was an actual sign of things to come,” Ms. Morelli said. “But it’s a new kind of normal. My usual clients were the women who worked Downtown, now they’re women who are visiting Downtown.”
She, too, is optimistic about the prospects for local businesses during the upcoming holiday season.
“I’m hopeful because there’s so much awareness about small businesses now, and I’m hopeful that that will be peoples’ first choice when shopping for the holiday season,” she said.