THE CHRISTMAS TREE ALREADY HAS BEEN ERECTED IN PPG PLAZA, DOWNTOWN, AS THE CITY GEARS UP FOR THE HOLIDAYS. | PHOTO BY VIRGINIA LINN

Do you have your holidays planned out yet? Well, Pittsburgh does! It’s only mid-October, but the city’s festive preparations are already underway.

The prominent Christmas tree in PPG Plaza has already been erected, and workers are moving ahead in converting the summer fountain to the UPMC Rink at PPG Place. The rink is scheduled to open to the public on Nov. 14.

The Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership also is starting to install the chalets for the Peoples Gas Holiday Market. But this year — because of construction underway in Market Square to prepare for the NFL Draft coming in April — the chalets will be placed in parts of the Cultural District.

Now in its 14th season, the holiday market has been a strong driver of seasonal foot traffic and supporter of local businesses during the holidays, says Richard Hooper, vice president of marketing and communications for the nonprofit Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership.

The festive shopping village, with its decorated chalets and twinkling lights, will be open from Nov. 21 to Dec. 24. The exact location of the chalets will be announced at a later date.