It's Light Up Night weekend, marking the official start to the holiday season in Downtown Pittsburgh. Here's what to know about this year's holiday events.

Light Up Night is scheduled to officially kick off at 4 p.m. on Saturday and will feature two stages with live music, food vendors, and an appearance from Santa.

Three rounds of fireworks will go off throughout the evening, marking different events throughout Light Up Night.

The fireworks will go off when the City-County Building's tree is lit at 5 p.m., when the PPG Place ice skating rink tree is lit at 6 p.m., and when the Horne's tree at the corner of Stanwix Street and Penn Avenue is lit at 7 p.m. 

The night will also end with a Zambelli fireworks finale at 9:30 p.m. 

Pittsburgh Police say they're ready

When Light Up Night returns this weekend, Pittsburgh Police say they're focused on keeping people safe.

With all hands on deck, Pittsburgh Police Commander Timothy Novosel said there will be 75 to 100 officers working in Downtown Pittsburgh for Light Up Night.

"We're gonna see officers in uniform walking around, talking to people, and they're also gonna see people in plain clothes, like I said, we're gonna have drones," Novosel said. "We're going to have people working traffic posts. We're gonna have motorcycles. We're having the mounted unit. So they're gonna see almost Pittsburgh Police in every aspect that they do."

Officers will be on the lookout for people fighting or acting disorderly, but will also be utilizing community outreach groups as another line of defense when it comes to young kids.

Police are asking anyone coming to Light Up Night under the age of 18 to be accompanied by an adult. 

Light Up Night road closures 

If you're planning to drive into the city for Light Up Night, be prepared to run into some road closures and traffic restrictions.

Some of the major restrictions impact main roads, including the closure of Stanwix Street from Liberty Avenue to Fort Duquesne Boulevard, the closure of the Roberto Clemente Bridge and the closure of Forbes Avenue between Stanwix Street and Market Square.

Ramps in and out of the city, including the Fort Pitt Bridge ramp to Fort Duquesne Boulevard and the Fort Duquesne Bridge ramp to Fort Duquesne Boulevard, will be closed for the event. 

Some closures began at noon on Friday. However, most take effect on Saturday morning. 

New location for Holiday Market

Before Light Up Night, this year's Holiday Market will be opening at a new location this year.

The market opened on Friday at 11 a.m. in Pittsburgh's Cultural District, as Market Square remains under renovation.

The market features booths from local vendors and will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.

The market will be open through Christmas Eve, except for Thanksgiving Day when it will be closed. A full vendor directory can be found online. 

Businesses prepare for uptick in visitors

Businesses in Downtown Pittsburgh are excited for a weekend of large crowds and heavy foot traffic.

"We're hoping that they come out and they have a good time, and we're able to have a successful Light Up Night," said Jimi Farrell, owner and operator of Proper Brick Oven & Tap Room on Seventh Street. "The busier, the better for us."

Molly McGrath, assistant general manager and beverage director of Gaucho Parrilla Argentina on Sixth Street, is expecting "it to be absolutely insane now."

With that expectation of more foot traffic comes the need for more staffing, and both Farrell and McGrath say they've met that challenge.

"I would say that we beefed up staff a little bit, about 25 percent," said Farrell.

Monongahela Incline reopens for Light Up Night

Mt. Washington is traditionally a popular place for Light Up Night, where people can take in the sights of the city and watch fireworks. Pittsburgh Regional Transit originally said the Monongahela Incline wouldn't be running, but in an update, PRT said the incline passed inspections and received approval from state oversight agencies to open at 5 p.m. on Friday. 

The incline has been closed since earlier this month when a motor controller failure led to 27 people being trapped in cars.