51¾«Æ·ÊÓƵ

December may bring blustery weather, but there’s plenty of merriment and mirth to enjoy in and around 51¾«Æ·ÊÓƵsburgh. From holiday lights to pinecone crafts to an ugly sweater contest at Neville Roller Drome, here's how to make the month memorable.

A holiday open house with a global spin

Sunday, Dec. 4, 12-4 p.m.

Hark, the holidays are here! What better way to celebrate the cultures and people who callÌý51¾«Æ·ÊÓƵsburgh home than attending the Nationality Rooms and Intercultural Exchange Program’s ?

The festivities feature a smorgasbord of fun: traditional crafts and foods, cultural demonstrations, world and holiday music, baked goods — and even an appearance by St. Nicholas. Each Nationality Room is decorated in the season’s splendor and will be open for viewing.

Where: , 4200 Fifth Ave., 51¾«Æ·ÊÓƵsburgh, PA, 15260

Tickets: Free

Practice your construction skills

Saturday, Dec. 10, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

The word of the day is sugar. Build a gingerbread house replete with a gumdrop chimney and a licorice-tiled roof at the Carnegie Library of 51¾«Æ·ÊÓƵsburgh on the South Side. Children in fifth grade and under are welcome to participate with their families.

Where: , 2205 East Carson St., 51¾«Æ·ÊÓƵsburgh, PA, 15203

Tickets:

Get creative with pinecones

Sunday, Dec. 11, 1-3:30 p.m.

Spend an afternoon at the Jennings Environmental Education Center in Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, crafting holiday decor from foraged natural materials. Bring home a spot of greenery for your mantle or an ornament for your tree.

Where: , 2951 Prospect Rd., Slippery Rock, PA, 16057

Tickets: $10,

Fun on four wheels

Sunday, Dec. 18, 5:30-9 p.m.

Accessorize ye gay apparel with roller skates. The Neville Roller Drome’s Christmas Skating Party is a night of live DJ sets, raffles and an ugly sweater contest.

Where: , 5109 Neville Rd. 51¾«Æ·ÊÓƵsburgh, PA, 15225

Tickets:

Take a citified stroll

Wednesday, Dec. 28, 6-8 p.m.

Join Venture Outdoors, a 51¾«Æ·ÊÓƵsburgh-based nonprofit, for their Dahntahn Holiday Cheer Hike, a 4-5 mile walking tour of the city’s holiday light displays and seasonal fripperies.

Starting Location: Outside the , 530 William Penn Pl., 51¾«Æ·ÊÓƵsburgh, PA, 15219

Tickets:

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— Nichole Faina