Find Holiday Cheer at These Pittsburgh Pop-Up Bars

‘Tis the season for good cheers! Get in the spirit at these new and beloved holiday pop-up bars around Pittsburgh.

📍Gibsonia

Explore six themed rooms, sip on cocktails from five bars, and take home the novelty glassware that comes with each drink at the North Park Lounge on Route 8. On some nights, characters like Buddy the Elf, Santa, and the Grinch are making visits. The Naughty & Nice Christmas Experience is open through Thursday, Jan. 4, and tickets are released weekly.

📍Cranberry

This pop-up is one weekend only. Look for cozy, over-the-top holiday decor, a sprinkle of holiday mischief, and all the Christmas spirit you can handle in the lobby of this Butler County hotel from 5 p.m. to midnight, Dec. 4-6. Admission is $10. All proceeds benefit TRY, a special needs organization.

📍Downtown

Shake things up this holiday season in Market Square, Saturday, Nov. 22 through New Years Eve. Outside the bar, find “Yinzer Wonderland,” where you can step into a giant snow globe for photos, play a round of curling, and sip specialty cocktails or hot toddies from the chalet.

📍Garfield

Step inside a life-sized snow globe filled with string lights, ornaments, and tinsel galore, and wander through set pieces like Santa's Candy Cocktail Bar, the White Winter Wonderland Parlor, and the Cozy Christmas Cottage Lounge. Sessions before 7 p.m. are open to guests under 21. And psst, there may be games!

📍South Side

Is it 5 p.m. yet? Check the time on South Side’s giant Iron City Clock, then skip over to Ruggers Pub. It’s all decked out for the Good Cheer pop-up bar. This very merry, very official collaboration with Iron City and I.C. Light is open every day through Jan. 1.

📍East Liberty

Lorelei is bringing seasonal mischief to the East End. This year’s Krampus pop-up is inspired by European holiday flavors. Try the “Dark Crooked One” with black cardamom infused Scotch, and don’t skip their woodfired pizza.

📍Homestead

Want to escape the gray? Find paradise at Golden Age Beer Co.’s winter luau weekender, Dec. 5-7. Enjoy tropical drinks and eats, a winter beer release, live entertainment, vintage vinyl sellers, and more. Santa will make a special appearance for a photo session on Saturday.

📍Downtown

Stop in for a “Snow Ball Old Fashioned” at this Liberty Avenue bar filled with all of your grandma’s favorite colorful holiday decor and more. It’s open daily, 4 p.m. to midnight, starting Saturday, Nov. 22. A portion of the proceeds usually goes to local charity.

📍Downtown

A new holiday pop-up is coming to Market Square this season! This reel Christmas bar at The Yard celebrates all things film, and visitors can explore two floors and three bars filled with holiday Easter eggs. Keep an eye out for gems from "Elf," "The Grinch," and more seasonal classics. This bar opens Friday, Nov. 21, and you can visit any day for the rest of the year.

📍Sewickley

Get cozy with a gingerbread Old Fashioned or spiked hot chocolate on the heated patio at Sewickley Quarter. This festive bar, located along Sewickley’s charming Beaver Street, runs Wednesdays through Saturdays and opens Wednesday, Nov. 26.

📍North Shore, Waterfront

These North Pole-inspired retro-tainment spaces pair special holiday food and cocktail menus with over-the-top decor, including more than 1,000 ornaments and lights. This year, Shorty’s has expanded with “Grinchville,” where the spirit of Christmas meets a mischievous twist. Now serving through Tuesday, Dec. 30 at both locations.

📍Downtown

Go back in time to the Space Race at The Industrialist's Atomic Tinsel Cocktail Club. This pop-up bar sets the vibe by taking 60s vintage cocktails and giving them a festive flair. Choose between drinks like Nuclear Nog, Atomic Punch, and Cosmo-Not to pair with small bites from a decidedly later 90s-inspired menu. The pop-up is open seven days a week, from Saturday, Nov. 22 through the end of the year.

📍Blawnox

This classic ode to tacky holiday decorations is a year-round bar and restaurant with reasonably-priced drinks and “decor stuffed into every possible space.” Check it out Monday through Saturday.

📍Strip District

Sip on a “Warm Winter’s Bite” or “May I Have S’more” at Wigle Whiskey’s magical distillery bar, decorated with a ceiling of snowflakes and twinkling fairy lights. It’s open most weekend nights through Saturday, Dec. 27.

📍Downtown

Wish you were basking in the sun? Transport yourself to a tropical island at the tiki-themed holiday bar on Wood Street, open daily 4 p.m. to midnight. You can order their beloved Holiday on Ice cocktail or split a Tiki Tub drink with your friends.

📍Downtown

The Omni William Penn is bringing back all things pastel and sparkly this season at the Glitzmas Holiday Pop-Up Bar, a holiday dreamscape with delicious themed cocktails. The pop-up officially opens Friday, Nov. 28, but you can get a sneak preview during Light Up Night weekend, Nov. 21-22.

📍Downtown

Get the full ski lodge experience without trekking through the snow, and try drinks like a Crimson Frost Spritz or the Sugar Cookie Martini. Open Wednesdays through Sundays.