Shirley McMarlin stories, Page 47

Sarah Crawford is experiencing something of a homecoming in taking a post as director of exhibitions at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh’s Oakland section. The Flint, Mich., native studied at the former Art Institute of Pittsburgh from 2001-04, earning a degree in graphic design. One of the...

Because a live holiday show wasn’t feasible this year, Little Lake Theatre Company invited patrons to share the season in another very personal way. Organizers of the Canonsburg theater solicited holiday stories and photos that became part of “A Very Little Lake Holiday,” a video that will be available for...

Viewers will have two options for enjoying The Theatre Factory’s production of “Christmas Gifts.” The old-fashioned radio-style play will be livestreamed for three evenings, with the opening night stream also available to an in-person audience at the Oaks Theater in Oakmont. Streaming time is 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, when...

Mary Ellen Raneri hasn’t taken much time to mourn her mother’s passing. She’s been too busy baking. Her mother, 98-year-old Lucy Pollock, who went viral this year with her “Baking With Lucy” Facebook videos, died Nov. 22 from complications of covid-19. The Latrobe resident said she feels like she owes...

The STAT Ligonier Therapeutic Center will spread some holiday cheer with a drive-through Winterfest, from 6-9 p.m. Dec. 18 and 19. “We were thinking about how so many Christmas events have been canceled, and we wanted to do something for the kids and the community,” said founder Catherine Markosky. The...

The holidays aren’t always merry and bright — sometimes the claws come out, as they will in City Theatre Company’s “Claws Out: A Holiday Drag Musical,” set to hit the digital stage on Friday. The action is described thus: “After attempting to give the north a new look, Mrs. Rachel...

The creative minds behind Pittsburgh Yinzer Greetings have found a way to make potholes palatable — literally. Just in time for holiday gift-giving, the company has teamed up with Sarris Candies to introduce Pittsburgh Pothole Filler. The sweet-and-salty treat features fresh-popped popcorn, dunked and drizzled in rich dark chocolate in...

Spooky stories aren’t just for Halloween. Each Friday leading up to Christmas, the McCarl Coverlet Gallery at Saint Vincent College will present a new podcast featuring the reading of a haunted holiday tale from times past. “Every Christmas, we look forward to the spooky and fascinating tale of Ebenezer Scrooge...

In response to Allegheny County Health Department’s Nov. 18 stay-at-home advisory, Pittsburgh Opera will not have in-person audiences for its upcoming production of “Soldier Songs.” The opera will be presented as a free livestream at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 11 on YouTube and Facebook, thanks to sponsorship from UPMC. Patrons may...

There are a lot of good reasons to shop Greensburg Garden Center’s annual Christmas greens and decor sale. Offering everything from trees, wreaths and roping to kissing balls, table arrangements and hanging baskets, along with other handcrafted decorative items, it’s one-stop shopping, said center president Carla Rusnica. It’s also one-of-a-kind...

Forget the ugly Christmas sweater — the holiday-themed mask is the hot, new look this year. “We can’t even keep them stocked,” said Beth DeNillo, manager of Bella Unique Boutique in downtown Greensburg. “They’re very popular,” she added. “Our customers are saying, ‘If we have to wear them, we might...

Even with some people turning to electronic holiday greetings, sending cards by mail is still a treasured tradition. Americans purchase approximately 6.5 billion greeting cards each year, including 1.6 billion Christmas cards, according to the Greeting Card Association, an industry trade group. That makes Christmas cards the most popular type...

The Westmoreland Ballet Company takes “The Nutcracker” off the stage and into the community with a new video production of the beloved holiday classic. Filmed at indoor and outdoor locations around the county, the video will debut online at 7 p.m. Friday. It also will stream at 7 p.m. Saturday...

The long wait is almost over for hungry McRib lovers. McDonald’s is bringing the cult favorite sandwich back to restaurants on Wednesday. This will be the first time since 2012 that it will be available at all of the fast food chain’s 14,400 outlets nationwide. McDonald’s brings back the McRib...

Greensburg will celebrate its 51st annual Luminary Night beginning at 5 p.m. Dec. 3. About 400 luminaries will light the way for visitors along Main, Otterman and West Second streets and Pennsylvania Avenue, and a Christmas tree will illuminate the South Pennsylvania Avenue Parklet. The Downtown Greensburg Project, which organizes...

The weekend after Thanksgiving offers an array of shopping opportunities, from Black Friday to Small Business Saturday to Museum Store Sunday. On Nov. 29, about 1,600 museum stores across all 50 states and 24 countries will participate in this year’s edition of the special event, showcasing collections of items that...

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra has canceled all concerts that were scheduled for January through March at Heinz Hall in downtown Pittsburgh. PSO said cancellations are because of ongoing restrictions from public health and government entities related to the coronavirus pandemic, and for its concerns for the health and safety of...

Downtown Greensburg businesses are offering shoppers a chance to get more bang for their bucks on Saturday. As part of Small Business Saturday, 21 participating merchants will offer shoppers Small Business Saturday Bingo cards to fill out for a chance to win prizes. To play, shoppers take their cards along...

Pittsburgh’s popular Handmade Arcade, a twice-yearly market featuring wares from cutting-edge craft-based artists, designers and makers, is going virtual. The winter marketplace is usually a Friday evening and all-day Saturday event in the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in downtown Pittsburgh. Going online due to the pandemic just might have...