Reimagine Your Seasonal Gatherings

Does the thought of attending your office holiday party make you yawn? Do you dread drinking warm eggnog while listening to your coworkers' decades-old jokes? There are plenty of fun options to have a holiday party that everyone will enjoy.

A scavenger hunt at the Carnegie Museum geared for your corporate group or family might be the party that everyone speaks about for years. “It is a unique way to see a venue in a whole new light and to see each other in a different light – it is not the typical office party,” said Julie Jacobs, president of Watson Adventures.

Watson Adventures specializes in creating one-of-a-kind parties designed with your group in mind. Often the venues are locations you might not normally think of for a party—like the museum, other public buildings, parks, and even your own office building. They offer various games such as scavenger hunts, trivia games, photo challenges, and more. “We gear them so that everyone can participate. You don’t have to be athletic, you don’t have to drink, you can just come and have fun,” Jacobs said.

While Watson Adventures offers scavenger hunts at the Carnegie, they can also design events for your office or other spaces such as historic homes, outdoor venues, and churches. “Holiday scavenger hunts are fun, and we have a Joy to the World that offers a way to see how the holidays are celebrated around the world,” Jacobs said.

Jacobs and her team will work with groups of any size and customize your party not only for the location but also for your interests and themes. “We can offer virtual experiences and hybrid experiences too,” she said. Offerings for this holiday season include Holiday Jackpot, Person Holiday Extravaganza Game Show, Holiday Battle Royale, JeopardAI Holiday Edition, Holiday Bingo, Winter Wonderland, and more. For more information, visit watsonadventures.com/location/pittsburgh/.

‘Burgh Bits & Bites Tours offer great alternatives to the normal holiday party, according to Founder Sylvia McCoy. “It's a way for friends, family, or coworkers to gather in a unique way. They can learn about Pittsburgh history, visit small businesses, and eat great food while on a tour.”

How can you go wrong visiting local neighborhoods decorated for the holidays while sampling regional favorites? BB&B will work with private groups of 12 or more, while smaller groups can join a public tour. McCoy creates custom tours for groups featuring local spots or neighborhoods such as the Strip District, Lawrenceville, Brookline, South Side, Oakland, North Side, Saxonburg, or Cranberry.

For the holiday season, McCoy will have a joint venture Holiday Tour Downtown with the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership. “Last year’s Downtown Holiday Tour sold out very quickly,” she said.

McCoy can also accommodate larger groups. “We have toured with groups as large as 70. With groups that large, we split them into smaller groups, 12-14 guests per tour guide,” she explained.

BB&B tours are a great alternative to the usual get-togethers for the holidays, McCoy said. “Food tours give people the gift of an experience. Being a tourist in your own city is the best way to celebrate the holidays.” Visit burghfoodtour.com for more information.

Family fun at Flour Power. Photo courtesy of Flour Power

Baking together is a fun, unique activity to make something tangible and delicious while enjoying time together. Flour Power offers a variety of cooking classes, parties, and camps. Guests can also participate in “challenges,” according to Owner Amy Knight. “You can have themed ‘Iron Chef’ challenges with friendly competition or take a cooking class such as a pasta-making class,” she said. Knight also offers classes for children and teens, so families can customize classes to ensure everyone has fun.

Cooking classes are a particularly great way for corporate groups and families to share a culinary experience by offering hands-on cooking opportunities. “You create great memories, enjoy and share delicious foods, and we clean up all of the mess,” Knight said.

Flour Power offers a variety of classes, including a teen cookie exchange; cake decorating; making gingerbread houses; cooking Christmas tree ravioli; baking holiday cookies; and more. “We have high school groups that come—a local high school French club comes, and we make French food,” Knight said. “We have also hosted an empanada competition and had a taco bar.”

Pittsburgh Santa at Flour Power. Photo courtesy of Flour Power.

An extremely popular holiday tradition is the cooking classes with a special guest appearance by “Pittsburgh Santa,” a local favorite who visits holiday cooking classes at the studio. “We sell those classes out immediately,” Knight said. For more information, visit flourpowerstudios.com/locations/pittsburgh/.

The Nationality Rooms, located in the Cathedral of Learning at the University of Pittsburgh, are well known for their beauty. The mission of the Nationality Rooms and Intercultural Exchange Programs is sharing stories of regional ethnic communities, both past and present, through inspirational spaces and intercultural experiences, according to Rachel Whittier, visitor services and administrative coordinator for the Nationality Rooms and Intercultural Exchange Programs.

The annual holiday open house at the Nationality Rooms

The Nationality and Heritage Rooms are grassroots-funded gifts to the University of Pittsburgh by local and regional ethnic communities in and around Pittsburgh, Whittier explained. “The communities must come together to form a committee and raise the funds necessary to cover the purchase and creation of a Nationality or Heritage Room, and they work in partnership with the university to design a space representing their cultural heritage,” she said. “These committees continue to fundraise and provide scholarships to Pitt students for global learning experiences. The Nationality and Heritage Room Committees also offer cultural programming to the Pitt and broader communities.”

Groups can book tours of the Nationality and Heritage Rooms. “We offer guided and self-guided tours, which operate depending on class schedules. Guided tours can be booked through our tours website at nationalityrooms.pitt.edu/tours. Self-guided tours are available only on weekends and holiday breaks when classes are not in session. Self-guided tours are walk-in only and offered on a first-come, first-served basis. If a larger group requires a private booking, we can accommodate those requests as well. The student tour guides belong to a university club called Quo Vadis and are trained intensively to provide guided tours,” Whittier said.

This year, the Nationality Rooms will host their 34th Annual Holiday Open House on Sunday, Dec. 7, from noon to 4 p.m. All the Nationality and Heritage Rooms will be open, and guests may explore the spaces and engage with room committee representatives and Quo Vadis guides to learn more about the spaces and cultures represented, as well as engage in educational and craft activities. More information will soon be available at nationalityrooms.pitt.edu/events/holiday-open-house-2025.

There are numerous restaurants close to the Cathedral for those wishing to continue their get-together with a meal. “We are happy to point visitors in the right direction for different restaurants, cafes, and other areas of interest depending on what they are looking for,” Whittier said.