Kaitlin Villines’s favorite part of last year’s 50th annual Light Up Night was the real wedding taking place in Market Square. Santa and Mrs. Claus officiated the open ceremony clad in red and white.A senior dance major, Villines has attended Pittsburgh’s Light Up Night each year since she has been at Point Park University. She especially enjoys the accessibility of the celebration because of its extremely close location to campus.One of the largest holiday celebrations in the country, the 51st annual Duquesne Light Light Up Night celebration put on by the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership (PDP) will be held on Friday, Nov. 18 and Saturday, Nov. 19.Because of its success last year with an attendance of 850,000 people over two days and an economic impact of $21 million dollars, the PDP has decided to continue to schedule the festival Friday and Saturday while expanding the events such as the Horse-drawn Carriage Parade.”Light up night is a really good way to start the holiday season because you finally feel like it is Christmas time,” Villines said in the Lawrence Hall lobby on Tuesday.Returning for its second debut, only larger this time, the Annual Horse-drawn Carriage Parade will feature almost 100 horses from Clydesdales to miniatures pulling 24 holiday-clad carriages. The streets of Downtown will be illuminated with white lights seeming as if it were daytime. The parade will step off from the David L. Lawrence Convention Center at 6 p.m. on Saturday and will advance down Grant Street, Fifth and Liberty Avenues.Point Park students Pete Bridge and Hannah Frye will wear Sesame Street characters, Cookie Monster and Elmo, costumes during the parade.According to Frye, who fits the five foot height requirement for Elmo, their duties include waving at the community and taking pictures with children during the skating with the mascots event.Students can volunteer at Light Up Night to be a part of the promotional Street team on Nov. 18  or work at the PDP Information Booth on Nov. 19. Students are encouraged to contact the PDP at [email protected] to the PDP’s Light Up Night event coordinator, Ida D’Errico, “there is no city in North America that is more passionate about fireworks than Pittsburgh.”The fireworks show put on by the Pittsburgh Brewing Company is scheduled to launch promptly at 9:38 p.m. The most popular event during Duquesne Light Light Up Night, the firework demonstration will continue for 22 minutes from the Warhol Bridge, which can be seen from almost anywhere Downtown.On Friday at 8:30 p.m. in Market Square, Santa will also flip the giant switch to turn on the Eat’n Park Market Square Season of Lights. The coordinated show designed by the same international company that engineered the lights for the Disney Cinderella Castle and Eiffel Tower will feature more than 150,000 LEDs and a 33-foot sphere tree.Light Up Night is not only about the fireworks, parade, or the PPG ice rink, but there are also free performances, food, and more found specifically in Market Square.Villines has noticed more and more people going throughout the years.”It is packed down here. Even in the Point Park area,” Villines  said. “People are up and down the Boulevard [of the Allies].”Light Up Night has been growing rapidly for the past few years. In 2008, it was reprogrammed specifically so people would be able to move around the Golden Triangle not once, but repeatedly to experience all the different entertainment venues. Program perimeters were also opened up in Market Square last year, according to D’Errico.”What is unique about it is that it is all Pittsburgh performers. Everything in it is Pittsburgh,” D’Errico said in a phone interview on Tuesday. “There is nothing [from]programming or content stand point that is national.”The event is programmed so it appeals to all ages including families, teenagers and young children. D’Errico said that she would not single out one event as better than any others during the celebration. “I don’t think [there is] any city that I’ve ever been to in the country that could quite frankly pull this type of celebration,” she said.