It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in the City-County Building.

Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey on Friday officially unveiled the city’s 20th annual gingerbread display, which will adorn the City-County Building lobby through the New Year.

“It’s a great way to kick off the holiday season,” Gainey said.

For some families, crafting the perfect gingerbread creations to enter into the city’s display is a beloved tradition.

Heather Brady, of Mt. Washington, said her family has embraced it as part of their holiday celebration for the last six years. Her father fell ill before Christmas that year, she said, and she needed to find a way to cheer up around the holidays.

“I didn’t know how we were going to get through the holidays,” she said, explaining that getting the whole family involved in a gingerbread display proved to be the best way to relax and engage with her family.

“It’s become a grant event,” she said. “It’s a family tradition.”

She homeschools her children, Jack and Finn Gallacher, 11 and 6 respectively, and has found ways to make the gingerbread display part of their learning. She said she’s made the gingerbread displays into a fun way to teach her children about engineering, math and art.

“They do everything themselves,” she said.

Her children each took first place in their age groups this year, she said, and their family display earned first place in that division.

Her husband, Glenn, builds the structures, she said, and the kids choose themes for their creations. This year, she said, Finn opted for a Star Wars theme, while Jack created a gingerbread replica of the Highmark Building.

“It’s brought us so close as a family throughout the holidays,” she said.

The city’s gingerbread display and competition returned this year to an in-person event after two years of online and hybrid activities during the covid pandemic. The gingerbread creations have been displayed at the City-County Building since 2019, and previously had attracted thousands of visitors to PPG Place.

“We couldn’t be more excited to welcome visitors back in person,” said Melissa Culvertson, a special events coordinator with the city.

“It’s my favorite time of the year, because it’s all about family and children,” the mayor said, donning a sparkly Santa hat for a ribbon cutting ceremony at the display. “The whole environment is different this time of year. Everybody’s happy, everybody’s cheerful.”

Gainey thanked the residents and community groups who submitted “amazing work” for the display.

The gingerbread display garnered nearly 300 entries this year, Culvertson said.

Pittsburgh will host a Light Up Night celebration Saturday, which will include the lighting of the city’s 107th annual Christmas tree on the City-County Building portico, as well as fireworks, light shows and live music.

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