North Park’s Drive-In Laser Light Show Returns For Second Year
The show will last 45 minutes and can be enjoyed from the warmth of your car.
Christmas music is on the radio and peppermint mochas are in stock at Starbucks. It can only mean one thing: The holiday season is upon us. To celebrate, Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald announced Tuesday that the county’s holiday drive-in laser show will return to North Park for the 2021 season.
“Particularly during the holidays, we are always looking for fun events to do with our families, and the holiday laser show fits the bill,” Fitzgerald said in a press release. “We’re thrilled to have this event return and hope that even more of our residents and neighbors will enjoy the 2021 event, again in North Park.”
The event debuted last year in the midst of pandemic-era shutdowns and social distancing, offering people a festive way to celebrate the season without leaving the safety of their cars. It was set to tunes ranging from Bing Crosby’s classic crooning to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra’s intense rock hits. This year’s show will run 45 minutes, synchronized to holiday music that guests can hear by tuning their car radios to 87.9 FM.
The county needed to get permission from the Federal Aviation Administration to stage the show; occasional pauses might occur mid-program if an aircraft gets too close, just to be safe.
The first show is scheduled for Dec. 1 at the county’s North Park Swimming Pool Parking Lot on South Ridge Drive. The event is slated to run through Dec. 22.
Visitors can choose from three session times Sundays through Thursdays: 6 p.m., 7:30 p.m., and 9 p.m. On Fridays and Saturdays, an additional 10:30 p.m. time slot will be added. Space is limited and tickets sell out, according to the release.
Last year’s light show was massively popular; nearly 7,800 vehicles attended, carrying an estimated 30,000 passengers. More than $70,000 was raised for the Kane Foundation, which raises funds to benefit Allegheny County and its residents. (Proceeds from this year’s event will go to the Kane Foundation, too.)
Each session accommodates 200 cars. The rate for county residents is $20 per vehicle and the non-resident rate is $25 per vehicle. Guests are encouraged to arrive 30-45 minutes before their time slot, and upon arrival, they’ll need to show the QR code provided at the time of purchase.
Cars and trucks are permitted, but no commercial vehicles — school buses, minibuses or limos, for example — will be allowed. There won’t be concessions on-site, but guests are encouraged to bring something to munch on in their cars.
You can grab your tickets online through the county’s website.
There’s a broad selection of other festive light shows and jolly events scheduled throughout the region this winter, too. Check out our round-up of them here.
