Sewickley-Area Churches Plan Christmas Worship Services

Sewickley churches list service schedules for Christmas Eve, Dec. 24 and Christmas Day, Dec. 25.

The following churches are opening their doors—and arms—to one and all for holiday services.   Northway Christian Community, Sewickley Valley Christmas Eve services are at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Monday.   Sewickley United Methodist Church Christmas Eve candlelight services begin with contemporary worship at 5 p.m. and a traditional service at 7:30 p.m. on Monday.   St. James Church Christmas Eve Mass is 4 p.m., 7 p.m. and midnight. The Adult and Bell choir will begin singing at 11:30 p.m. for the midnight service.  Christmas Day Mass is 7:30 a.m., 9:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.    St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church Christmas Eve candlelight worship is at 6:30 p.m.    The Presbyterian Church, Sewickley Christmas Eve services are at noon, 5 p.m., 7 p.m…

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Where to See Santa Claus Around Sewickley this Holiday Season

Santa Claus is dropping into Sewickley and neighboring communities this 2012 season to hear your wishes and pose for photos.

'Tis the season for photos with Santa Claus. On Saturday, Santa made a stop in Sewickley to take photos with kids and pets. He also stopped off in Bell Acres to lunch with good little girls and boys. Here's a list of places you can find jolly old Saint Nicholas in the weeks before Christmas.    Sewickley From 1 to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 16, Santa will be visiting the Cochran Hose Company fire station when the firefighters host "Santa at the Station." Kids can do crafts, take pictures and visit with Santa. There will be fire prevention information, fire truck rides, cookies and refreshments.  On Wednesdays, Dec. 12 and Dec. 19, and Saturdays, Dec. 15 and Dec. 22, Santa will be visiting in Wolcott Park. Enjoy free carriage rides courtesy of …

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Don't Forget: Enter Patch's 'Deck the House' Contest For a Chance to Win $100,000

Are you decorating your house for the holidays this year? Enter our "Deck the House" contest and you could win $100,000 for the Quaker Valley School District and $500 to pay your electric bills!

Enter Patch's 'Deck the House' Contest For a Chance to Win $100,000

Will you decorate your house for the holidays this year? Enter our "Deck the House" contest and you could win $100,000 for the Quaker Valley School District and $500 to pay your electric bills!

Top Toys Sewickley-Area Kids are Craving for Christmas

Find out what’s in before you head out to the stores.

Making sure to put just the right presents under the tree for kids can be a trick even for Santa. Now that the holiday season is officially underway, we've put together a few suggestions for you if you’re hoping to find out what’s hot before you head out to shop for your ones. Retailers themselves are generally the best judges of what’s in. Here are what some of the biggest toy retailers in the Sewickley area and beyond are saying: Toys ‘R’ Us This retailer has a Top 15 list of toys for boys and girls. Some of its suggestions include: To see the full list, visit Toys ‘R’ Us online. Target This store agrees with Toys ‘R’ Us on a few counts, but has its own suggestions as well. They include To see the full list of suggestions, visit Target …

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Patch Poll: How Much Is Your 2012 Holiday Budget?

Have you trimmed your spending because of the economy or has good fortune enabled you to spend more?

Many of you might already be done with your holiday shopping. Still others might be waiting for even better deals that sometimes pop up prior to Christmas. But how does your spending compare to prior holiday seasons? Those who have lost jobs due to the economy, who feel their jobs might be threatened or who have suffered other setbacks might be a little tighter with the purse strings than someone who just got that promotion. With Black Friday and Small Business Saturday over, and Cyber Monday waiting for a business surge tomorrow, you should have a pretty good handle on your 2012 holiday budget. So how much do you plan to spend this holiday season? Let us know by voting in our poll. And tell us in the comments section why you are spending …

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NE12Ukid

12:18 pm on Monday, December 3, 2012

Well, James, I'm big on doing those things around the holidays that bring you joy, satisfaction, or bring such to others. Which is why I support your choices as they bring joy to you and yours. If you love baking and giving cookies to everyone around you, that can be a great way for you to celebrate the holiday. If going to church services does it for you, then that's what you should do. If …   more ›

Transportation Detours, Street Closings Set for Pittsburgh's Light-Up Night Festivities, Parade

If you're heading for the annual festivities scheduled for Friday and Saturday around the Golden Triangle, plan your route and parking options first.

Planning to head to Downtown Pittsburgh Friday for Light-Up Night? How about Saturday for the Sounds of the Season Parade or other daylong holiday activities planned throughout the Golden Triangle? Here are schedules and transportation details you'll want to keep in mind. Pittsburgh's 52nd annual Light-Up Night begins at noon Friday, when Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl lights the tree at the City-County Building on Grant Street. Also set for noon: the annual dedication and blessing of the traditional Christmas creche at U.S. Steel Tower on Grant Street. Most festivities begin at 5 p.m. Friday, however, with events scheduled for three stage locations — in Market Square, on the Clemente Bridge and at EQT Plaza. Performers include Joe …

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Before Black Friday Poll: How Early is Too Early for Christmas 2012 Gift Shopping?

It used to be Black Friday was for the earliest of birds. Not anymore.

It's only one day past Halloween (with trick or treating still to come), but it's already starting to look a lot like Christmas around the Sewickley area. Yup, the early birds no longer wait until Black Friday to do their holiday shopping. This year, Black Friday is on Nov. 23, but big retailers and mail-order companies are starting well in advance. Amazon, for example, is beginning its Black Friday on Nov. 14. Step into the local Target, Bed Bath & Beyond or Lowe's and you'll see a full array of Christmas items. Some people, no doubt, will be purchasing gift cards from the most popular establishments in the Sewickley area, listed as our Sewickley Patch 2012 Readers' Choice Award Winners. Crazy or crazy smart? Just how early is too early …

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An Epiphany to Bring Back Epiphany

In honor of Sewickley Patch's first anniversary, here is a look back at my first Patch column. It's still a relevant reminder for this time of year.

Each year around my Nov. 16 birthday, I flip through radio stations and begin to hear the sweet sound of jingling bells, accompanied by Frank Sinatra's crooning of "Baby It's Cold Outside."  It's not that I am opposed to the sounds of the season, but I believe that on this day, the holiday season has not yet begun. Again, I tell myself, "America has done what it does best—preemptively strikes on each and every holiday." Like an eager, impatient child, our society cannot wait for holidays to approach, so society approaches (more like attacks) them instead.  While I could probably listen to Christmas tunes for many months without tiring of them, they do put me falsely in the Christmas spirit before Thanksgiving has even arrived, leaving me …

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