 The holiday season officially kicked off in Pittsburgh on Saturday, November 22, 2025, and it was a night of pure magic! Highmark Light Up Night, the city's iconic holiday launch, drew massive crowds downtown for a celebration of lights, music, and festive cheer. The Pierce Events team was thrilled to be part of the excitement once again along with team Xfinity, to create the festive atmosphere that marked the true start of the holidays in the Steel City. This year's event was bigger and brighter than ever, successfully combining beloved traditions with exciting new displays. 🌟 The Lights, The Music, The Magic: Light Up Night 2025 Highlights Thousands descended upon Downtown Pittsburgh, enjoying mild November weather that made exploring the city a joy. The evening was a cascade of illumination and celebration:
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 Recently Sam Altman, the founder of OpenAI, was served a subpoena on stage during a panel discussion.
Another incident occurred in Singapore that made news, a man jumped over a barricade and rushed pop star and actress Ariana Grande. The incident took place during the" The Wicked: For Good" movie premiere at Universal Studios Singapore. In videos circulating online, a man was seen putting his arm around Grande while jumping up and down. He was subsequently tackled and removed by security, but not before putting his hands on her and being shoved away by her co-star. Security at events can be a challenge. Often times there is the appearance of security, but not much in the way of application. I have done a number of concerts and celebrity events with different levels of security from the front facing crowd to personal protection backstage. At events, the welfare and protection of the celebrity is a priority, along with crowd control. It not enough these days to just have people standing around looking like security. Fans tend to get excited and some will make any attempt to reach a celebrity. Most people want a photo or autograph, but every attempt must be treated as a threat, because you never know what someone is capable of or their intent. I have multiple stories of such attempts and some are scary. A security team should constantly look at every person in the vicinity and read body language and facial expressions. Be on the look out for anything that can be thrown or cause harm, and know the fastest evacuation route in case of emergency. It's often best to have two or more layers of security one to protect the celebrity and another team to manage the crowd. Often very different skills are needed for those two positions. I've even had a third layer with a personal body guard to shadow every move. At events that involve interaction with fans, security teams have to carry out risk assessments before the event and be aware of persons of interest and active threats. It's astonishing how many well know people have regular threats made against them. Any event can be a target from an active shooter to a celebrity stalker. What happened thankfully didn't result in anyone hurt, but it highlights a glaring weakness in many events that could have tragic results. We need to do better.  Hey everyone, Pittsburgh's Light Up Night is back, and you are invited! If you're anything like us, you're already buzzing about the kickoff to the holiday season. As your go-to event crew here at Pierce Events, we're beyond pumped to be lighting up the Xfinity Riverside stage this year-bringing the magic right to the heart of the action. Picture this: Thousands of lights twinkling across the Golden Triangle, ice sculptures glowing under the November chill, and the city alive with that unbeatable Burgh spirit. Light Up Night hits November 22nd, starting at four p.m., and it's the perfect way to shake off the gray skies and dive into winter vibes. From the massive Christmas tree lighting at PPG Plaza to roaming carolers and fireworks capping the night, it's pure Pittsburgh joy. But here's the spotlight: We're partnering up for the Xfinity Riverside stage, transforming it into an epic hub of live tunes, family-friendly fun, and moments that'll have you humming holiday hits all season. Expect powerhouse performances from Slim tha DJ, Pittsburgh country music artist Justin Fabus, Bridge Lighting, a free concert with "The Calling". Riverside is the perfect viewing location for the Xfinity Fireworks Spectacular with Supersized Zambelli Grand Finale to wrap up the night. We will be there along with the Xfinity team. Whether you're dancing with the kids or grabbing a warm cider, our team's got the behind-the-scenes wizardry covered to make it unforgettable. Light Up Night isn't just lights-it's that annual reminder of community, creativity, and the city we love. So grab your mittens, rally the crew, and join us. Tickets? Free, but snag spots early for the stage shows. See you downtown as we make some memories. What's your must-do this Light Up Night? Drop it in the comments!
Xfinity Riverside Stage
Ft. Duquesne Boulevard & 6th Street
Our company was tasked with doing a number of Grand Opening events for Walmart stores in several states. With national remodel projects underway, many opening events have happened. While our team has done a new of remodeling grand opening events in several states for Walmart, even more are planned in 2026. Walmart is not simply making things look better, these renovations are part of the Walmart’s larger growth strategy, “Store of the Future.” These markets feature larger grocery pickup and delivery sections, updated pharmacies, new grab & go sections, trendier apparel options, as well as community-focused food and merchandise offerings. America’s top retailer plans to convert about 150 stores and we look forward to producing a number of opening events in 2026.  We booked our 100th event for 2025 ! That may not seem like a big deal, but it's a significant marker for us.
In 2024 we did 98 events. 2023 was a record year with 119 events 2022 still emerging from the Covid shutdown we were at 43 2021 only 19 events For our company to do over 100 events in a year is a major accomplishment. For each event there are countless days of planning, travel and preparation. Thanks to everyone on our team who works so hard and allows to do multiple complex productions. I could not do it alone and the mere fact that major companies and brands trust us so often to produce events for them reflects the dedication of our team. |
AuthorEventspark is published by Pierce Events - Pittsburgh, PA 15202 Comments and Submissions are welcome You can reach us at [email protected] or visit our website www.pierceevents.net 1-724-986-6939 Archives
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