Book clubs, cider releases, Christmas house tours, late-night shopping, adult brunches and Steelers-Ravens make up this weekend’s list of to-dos.

By: NSC Staff

Thursday, December 7

Sweet Shopping Nights

For the first three Thursdays of this month, the Deutschtown Business District on E. Ohio will be open late. A number of participating stores including Arnold’s Tea, The Farmer’s Daugther, Bernie’s Photo Shop and North Shore Deli will be operating under extend hours for the holiday season. For a full list of participating stores visit the event’s FB page.

Burgers ‘n Beers

Pear and the Pickle is back with their monthly food pairing event with Cafe Market and Roundabout Brewery. Swing by the Troy Hill destination at 5 p.m. to sample a smorgasbord of burgers, shakes and brews. For more information visit the event’s FB page.

Books on Tap: Holiday Spice Edition

Local adult book club, Books on Tap will be at Threadbare Cider and Mead at 6 p.m. for their ‘Holiday Spice Edition.’ The book selection will be creative non-fiction author, David Sedaris’ “Holidays on Ice.” For more information visit the event’s FB page.

MAKEnight: Yinz Ball

The MAKESHOP at the Children’s Museum will be hosting their 21+ night under the theme, “Yinz Ball” where guests can partake in a number of Pittsburgh-inspired events from cookie tables to hand-printed Terrible Towels. The event runs from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., for more information visit the event’s FB page.

Open Mic Night at Bier’s Pub

Bier’s Pub (formerly Benjamin’s) in Allegheny West will be hosting their first-ever open mic night hosted by Angela Mignanelli from 6:30 to 9:30. For more information visit the event’s FB page.

‘Hoppy Hanukkah’ Cider Release at Threadbare

Threadbare Cider & Mead will be hosting their bottle release of “Hoppy Hanukkah” cider from 5 p.m. till 10 p.m. The cider bottle release will be paired with latkes and 12 percent of all bottle and bar sales will be donated towards Rodef Shalom’s Biblical Botanical Garden. For more information visit Threadbare’s event page.

Friday, December 8

Allegheny West Victorian Christmas House Tour

The annual event is back starting Friday at 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Guests will be able to explore the luxurious Victorian homes throughout the Allegheny West neighborhood in addition to getting a peek inside of the city’s ‘Train Museum,’ one of the world’s largest private toy train collections. Tickets can only be purchased online or by phone at 412-444-8687. Visit the Allegheny West website for additional information.

Artist Image Resource Printwork 2017 Exhibition

AIR will be presenting the Printwork 2017 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. It is a national juried exhibition featuring the region’s best contemporary print work. For more information visit the event’s FB page.

Saturday, December 9

Steel City Shakespeare Center presents: A Christmas Carol

Steel City Shakespeare Center will be performing Charles Dickens’ holiday classic, “A Christmas Carol” at five different locations this month starting Saturday at Troy Hill’s VFW. The company will perform Saturday and Sunday this weekend and again next Saturday, December 16 at 4 p.m. (all three dates). Tickets are $15 and can be purchased online, for more information visit the event page.

Brunch with Santa at St. Cyril Church

Northside Catholic School will be hosting a holiday brunch at St. Cyril of Alexandria Roman Catholic Church in Brighton Heights. The event starts at 11 a.m. and food will be served at noon. For additional information and ticket prices, visit the event’s FB page.

Louis Hayes Quintet at New Hazlett Theater

Jazz drummer, Louis Hayes Quintet will be performing at the New Hazlett Theater at 8 p.m. The Detroit native will be playing alongside a 5-musican ensemble including bassist Dezron Douglas, vibraphonist Steve Nelson, pianist David Bryant, tenor saxophonist Abraham Burton and trumpeter Josh Evans. The band will be covering “Serenade for Horace” a homage to Quintent’s mentor, Horace Silver. For more information to and purchase tickets, visit the theater’s event page.

Sunday, December 10

Breakfast in Bed: Naughty or Nice Brunch at the Mattress Factory

Need to spice up your holiday spirit? Mattress Factory will be hosting a 21+ brunch with an aphrodisiac bar, food from Black Radish, and entertainment from  Steel City Kitty Burlesque. The festivities start at 11 a.m., for more information visit the event’s FB page.

Steelers vs. Ravens on SNF

The Steelers have their final prime-time game of the season at home against the Baltimore Ravens. Kickoff is at 8:30, but swing down to Stage AE at 4:30 for the free Steelers Tailgate. For more information visit Stage AE’s event page.