Keep the winter blues at bay with tasty drinks (and no hangover!), Pittsburgh features on TV, a popular vintage festival, local history brought to life on stage, cozy cold-weather activities, and more.
1. Sip On A Mocktail in Dry January
The Open Road, Pittsburgh’s nonalcoholic beverage shop, is pouring over with sober drink options — from seltzers and spirits to beers and wines. Owner Mel Babitz and the team can guide you through hundreds of options to find one that fits your taste, whether you want a bev that tastes like beer or wine or a “functional” drink with mood-enhancing or energizing ingredients.
Find Phat Bagel on Liberty Avenue in Bloomfield. (Francesca Dabecco / City Cast Pittsburgh)
2. Try Pittsburgh’s Newest Bagel Joint
The popular pop-up Phat Bagel now has a brick-and-mortar bringing fresh, hand-rolled bagels to Bloomfield. It’s a choose-your-own-adventure kind of bakery featuring breakfast sandwiches, customizable cream cheese spreads, and toppings galore. Tip: Go early! It was all sold out by late morning when I stopped by on a Sunday.
Warm up and chill out with a hot blend from Pittsburgh’s best tea shops. (Francesca Dabecco / City Cast Pittsburgh)
3. Have A Hygge Start to 2026
Millvale is channeling Hygge, the Danish art of cozy, with accessible self-care events throughout the borough on Jan. 10. Start at Abeille Voyante Tea Co for a cozy herbal blend. Then mosey through a couple of blocks to find more than 30 businesses and practitioners offering sessions in yoga, massage, facial, sound healing, tarot, and more. Want more? Keep the self-care going at the Winter Wellness Fair on the same day in nearby Sharpsburg.
Here’s what “The Pitt” got right and wrong about the Burgh in season one. (Phillip Faraone / Getty)
4. Spot Local Scenes in Season 2 of ‘The Pitt’
The HBO Max medical drama, partially filmed in Pittsburgh, is back for its second season on Jan. 8. We can’t wait to see shots of gorgeous Pittsburgh skylines, Dr. Robby commuting through the North Side, and local Easter eggs only yinzers will know — all of which almost makes the blood and gore worth the watch 😉
I love browsing the local author section at White Whale Bookstore in Bloomfield. (Francesca Dabecco / City Cast Pittsburgh)
5. Make Your 2026 (Local) Reading List
It’s a good time to turn a new page — literally. Build up your TBR pile with new reads from Pittsburgh’s best independent bookstores. If you’re not sure where to start, check out some local book clubs. Stay Gold Books in Regent Square has a club for just about every genre, including a Sunday Morning Salon where you can meet over coffee to talk about inspiring nonfiction reads.
The Black Photojournalism Exhibit is on display until Jan. 17. (Zachary Riggleman / Carnegie Museum of Art)
6. Visit The Black Photojournalism Exhibit
January is the last month to see the documentary work by nearly 60 photographers across the United States — including Pittsburgh’s own Charles “Teenie” Harris — at Carnegie Museum of Art’s Black Photojournalism exhibit. Inside the Heinz Galleries, you’ll find snapshots of historic events and daily life, chronicling everything from the end of World War II to the Civil Rights movement.
Looking for cool secondhand threads? Shop our guide to Pittsburgh thrift shops. (Francesca Dabecco / City Cast Pittsburgh)
7. Scour for Gems at Totally Rad Vintage Fest
This traveling festival celebrates everything from the ‘80s, ‘90s, and Y2K! Shop racks of vintage fashion, find throwback accessories and memorabilia, play free arcade games, and more on Jan. 10 and 11 at the Monroeville Convention Center.
Found Footage Fest celebrates nostalgia and absurdity with “videos that time forgot.” (Francesca Dabecco / City Cast Pittsburgh)
8. Get Nostalgic at Found Footage Festival
This live comedy show unearths bizarre and hilarious VHS footage with commentary by Joe Pickett (The Onion) and Nick Prueher (Late Show with David Letterman). Hang out at Bottlerocket Social Hall in Allentown on Jan. 22, and take in the weird and wonderful video catalog at FFF’s Volume 11 show.
The crew behind "Freedom House: Giving Life a Second Chance." (Courtesy of Prime Stage Theater)
9. See the Origin Story of Freedom House Ambulance
Prime Stage Theatre is sharing the history of Freedom House Ambulance, the country’s first emergency medical service created in the Hill District in 1967. Its all-Black paramedic crew, led by Pitt professor and “father of CPR” Dr. Peter Safar, paved the way for the 911 system we use today. Check out the production at New Hazlett Theater, Jan. 23 through Feb. 1.
Kids engage in winter-themed arts and crafts at Frick Winterfest. (Courtesy of The Frick)
10. Play & Explore at The Frick’s Winterfest
There’s fun for the whole family at Frick Winterfest Jan. 17 and 18. Watch glass-blowing demonstrations, go on a scavenger hunt, enjoy a winter sound bath concert, and warm up at the hot chocolate bar. Don’t skip the open house at Clayton mansion, the former home of industrialist Henry Clay Frick and his family.
