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Two Beguiling Attractions Make Wheeling a Christmas Season Destination

Outside the Kruger Street Toy and Train Museum Credit all Photos: Bill Rockwell     Think of Christmas towns and places like Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Frankenmuth, Michigan and Santa Claus, Indiana come to mind. But Wheeling, West Virginia isn’t one that usually pops into anyone’s mind.     A recent visit to the former steel making town on the Ohio River opened my eyes, at least, to the Christmas spirit after visiting two captivating sites. The first, the Kruger Street Toy and Train Museum fills a gorgeous, four-story, brick building with bell tower that was completed in 1906 as a schoolhouse (1906-1991). Now renovated, the historic building now serves as home to close to a half million items, about 100,000 of which are on display. How’s that for Christmas-ish?     On the day of my visit, I met founder Allen Robert Miller outside on the parking lot doing chore duty. Before long, he led me inside the ground floor of the museum where I was visually accosted by the sight of the larges
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December Jazz Concert | Dec. 13

  JAZZ CONCERT JOSHUA BEN & JAZZ TRIP DECEMBER 13 Additional Tickets Available for December Jazz Concert!  If you're already registered for the December jazz concert, thank you! If you haven't registered yet (or want to bring some friends), good news: Additional tickets are available!  Special Addition:  Frank Lloyd Wright's Southwestern Pennsylvania  open during Cocktail Hour (6-7pm) The Museum's Cantilever Gallery will remain open during the Cocktail Hour before the concert.  Frank Lloyd Wright's Southwestern Pennsylvania  includes a viewing theater showing three of Wright's unrealized Pittsburgh designs as a  digital animation film, with an accompanying musical score by Daniel May with Marty Ashby, produced by MCG Jazz . Concert Details Wednesday, December 13 6-7pm: Cocktail Hour & Cantilever Gallery Open 7-9pm: Concert* * Enjoy a complimentary coffee at intermission. $20 member / $25 non-member REGISTER Please note that if a concert sells out online,
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Phipps Conservatory Presents a Night of Holiday Music Led by Classically Trained Tenor Colin Aikins

  Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens  is proud to present  Winter Wonders and Cool Carols: An Evening with Colin Aikins  on Wed., Dec. 20, with performances at 6 and 8 p.m. Attendees will embrace the holiday spirit with a showcase of merry melodies as they stroll through the gleaming glasshouse decked out in holiday displays. This one-night-only performance features Colin Aikins, a classically trained tenor currently studying vocal performance at the Juilliard School. As a native Pittsburgher, Colin Aikins is thrilled to return to his hometown to share his passion for music with Phipps, for the second year in a row, alongside a professional pianist. Tickets include a 60-minute performance in Phipps’ Special Events Hall and Conservatory admission, so guests can explore Holiday Magic! Winter Flower Show and Light Garden. Guests can also stop by Café Phipps to purchase wine and refreshments after the show. Tickets to Winter Wonders and Cool Carols are $39.95 for adults and $24.95 f
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Catch David Crawford in Concert!

  Join us for David Crawford’s musical homecoming! Pittsburgh’s very own David Crawford takes the stage for a Legends in the Limelight concert this December 1. American bass-baritone David Crawford has been hailed as a “standout” by The New York Times and celebrated for his “thunderous bass-baritone” by New York Classical Review. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear his incredible voice live. Tickets are on sale now for this special event . Reserve a VIP ticket and you can join David and Artistic Director Marianne Cornetti for a reception immediately following the concert. Friday, December 1, 2023 | 7:30pm Carnegie Music Hall Carnegie, PA 15106 TICKET OPTIONS $65 General Admission (Concert only) $90 VIP : includes both the concert and a post-performance reception $15 student ticket (with valid ID) TICKETS Please note : David replaces the legendary Csilla Boross for this concert. While Csilla is unable to make it to this concert, we look forward to welcoming her to the PFO’s stage in t
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Pittsburgh Savoyards Doubles the Christmas Spirit with the Staging of Two One-Act Plays

     Chuck Cohen, Dr. Gregory Patrick, Josh Berkey,  Chelsie Clydesdale in a Scene from Amahl Credit all photos: Matt Lisiak       If you leave the theater after sitting through the two Christmas-themed offerings of the Pittsburgh Savoyards, then there’s nothing left to say to you but Bah Humbug!         First on the evening’s enchanted docket is the heart-warming, tear inducing Amahl and the Night Visitors, which tells the touching story of a young disabled boy and his mother who encounter the Three Kings during their journey to Bethlehem as they follow the mysterious guiding star. Lynea Csefalvay  and Chelsie Clydesdale in a Sene from Amahl         Following intermission, the setting, props and costumes advance 2000 years into the future in a musical retelling of the classic O. Henry short story, “The Gift of the Magi.”         “We’re staging the two works in chronological order starting with Amahl in Israel, then, after intermission, moving forward to 20th century New York,” s
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Dazzling Nights Opens Tonight!

  Dazzling Nights Opens Tonight at 5:30pm Dates: November 24, 2023 - January 1, 2024 Tonight is the first night of the Garden’s immersive winter light experience, Dazzling Nights! Reserve tickets today to explore fields of dancing lights, stand in awe of a 30-foot stained glass tree, wander underneath a canopy of glowing lanterns and make holiday memories you’ll never forget. Buy Tickets Dazzling Nights Hours: Throughout the duration of Dazzling Nights (November 24 - January 1), Pittsburgh Botanic Garden will be open 9:00am - 4:00pm. Become a Member Garden members receive a single-use 20% discount on up to 8 tickets. The primary email on your membership profile will serve as your discount code. Codes may take up to 3-5 business days to be activated, so join early to ensure you receive your ideal time slot! Support the Garden on Giving Tuesday Tuesday, November 28 Every year on Giving Tuesday, millions of dollars  are donated around the world in support of a world based on shared huma
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