Bethel Park School District’s holiday break is upon us, and both the staff and students are thrilled! 

Holiday break is a time to spend with family and friends and let your body and mind rest. 

However, if you’re looking for something to do, BPHS Hawk Eye has your back!

Starting off with a classic, grab a friend and head downtown! Here you can see Pittsburgh’s various Christmas displays, ice skate at the UPMC Christmas tree and rink at PPG, and shop at the Peoples Gas Holiday Market right next door in Market Square! 

Junior Emma Burke said, “Going to the city during the holidays is one of my favorite aspects of Christmas. I have made so many memories with my family and friends there, and I plan to make many more.”

Not interested in big city crowds, don’t worry! There are many other activities for you to participate in!

On a lazy night, grab your loved ones and pile up in the car. Holiday light-watching is one of the greatest gifts of the season!

If you would like to see professional lights there are two relatively local options: the Festival of Lights at Oglebay and the Zoo Lights at the Pittsburgh Zoo. 

At both of these locations, you can witness beautiful arrangements of lights that create astonishing scenes that gobs of people love!

If you’re looking for something close by, the South Park Skating Rink is a great place to go!

They have a newly renovated pathway side to their rink, the main rink, and an outdoor fireplace! 

You can stop by and grab a cup of hot chocolate from the snack stand and hang out with all of your friends!

One of our BPHS students, Martina Tatalias works there and says, “It is amazing being able to have a job doing my favorite winter activity!” She also mentioned that if you don’t know how to skate, don’t worry! They offer skating lessons on weekdays!

Lastly, a final place for all those holiday enthusiasts out there to go to is Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Oakland, PA.

It is an easy trip to plan as you can make reservations online and their garden displays are beautiful! 

They have special Christmas arrangements that are both great to look at and to use as a backdrop for family photos!

All of us at Hawk Eye hope that everyone at BPHS has a great holiday break and we can’t wait to hear what adventures you went on!