Thanksgiving Break is approaching, which means students and faculty will have a few extra days to relax and use their time for things other than classwork (ideally). If you’re looking for something fun to do in between catching up on some much-needed sleep, Pittsburgh is delivering.

Light Up Night: On Saturday, Nov. 20 (when the Saturday break officially begins), Pittsburgh’s annual Light Up Night will take place. Tree lighting ceremonies, fireworks, live music, good food, a giant pickle ornament, ice skating and more are promised for this Downtown event. The night of events has free admission (with items to purchase all around) and is sure to be a magical start to the highly awaited break.

The UPMC Rink at PPG Place: The skating rink is set to open for the 2021-2022 season on Friday, Nov. 19, just a few days before break starts. Grab your friends, significant other or family and go skate around the tree in the center of the photogenic PPG place. The classic winter activity is a favorite for sure, and it’s only a two minute walk from campus.

Phipps Holiday Magic! Winter Flower Show and Light Garden: Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens will be presenting their annual Winter Flower Show on Friday, Nov. 19. The theme for this year is “sparkle and shine” and promises guests “twinkling lights, thousands of poinsettias,” and more.

Concerts: There will be a few concerts the week of Thanksgiving Break around different venues in Pittsburgh. On Monday, Nov. 22, synth-pop band CHVRCHES will be at Stage AE. Tuesday, Nov. 23 will bring rock band Theory of a Deadman to Stage AE as well, and the same day alternative/indie band Houndmouth will be at Mr. Smalls Theatre. On Saturday, Nov. 27, Three Rivers Casino will be hosting “I Love The 90’s,” a concert headlined by Vanilla Ice. These are just a few of the concerts happening around the city during our break.

Fall hike/picnic: This would be for those who don’t mind the cold, but if that’s you, then this will be worth it. Pittsburgh has so many beautiful parks, and with the leaves fully red, orange and yellow, taking a walk or picnic throughout will make for a beautiful scene. There are many places to choose—from Point State Park downtown to Schenley Park in Oakland, there truly isn’t a bad place to go for this.

Pens game: The Pittsburgh Penguins will be playing the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday, Nov. 24. Break out your Crosby jersey and cheer on one of Pittsburgh’s best sports teams the day before Thanksgiving.

Take a break: This may sound obvious for fall break, but still. Take this time to relax and let yourself breathe. Catch up on your favorite shows, hang out with your friends, bake some cookies or do anything that will benefit you mentally, physically and emotionally. Try to de-stress and let yourself actually take a break. Even if you need to do nothing, that is still something.