Every November since at least 2022, the decorated nonprofit trees inside the Cranberry Township Municipal Center have shared the evening with Santa's First Stop. In 2026 they open a week early. On Friday, November 13, the Cranberry Foundation and the Cranberry Artists Network host the first Mistletoe and Masterpieces, a 21+ ticketed evening that officially launches the Cranberry Foundation Tree Gallery. This year it includes nearly four dozen trees decorated by local nonprofits and more than 200 pieces of art.
Santa's First Stop is still on, set for Friday, November 20, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the same building on Rochester Road. The Municipal Center's holiday season now covers two Fridays, and the reason starts with the organization that has been putting up those trees.
Four Novembers of Trees in the Lobby
The tree gallery has always belonged to the township's community nonprofit, and for years it stayed with the Santa event:
- 2022: Township announcements described the Cranberry Township Community Chest's Christmas Tree Gallery as displayed throughout the Municipal Center during Santa's First Stop, with more than 35 trees.
- 2023: The gallery returned to Santa's First Stop, this time with wreaths as well as trees.
- 2024: The Community Chest Tree Gallery was listed among the highlights of a Santa's First Stop that was also the first public gathering on the new Armstrong Great Lawn.
- 2025: The township's Santa announcement called it the Cranberry Foundation Tree Gallery for the first time.
The 2025 rename left the gallery on Santa's night. The 2026 calendar is the first to give it a separate date.
The Name Change Came First
At its annual Martinis with Monet event on July 9, 2025, the Cranberry Township Community Chest announced it would go by the Cranberry Foundation from then on, as the Butler Eagle reported. President Jerry Andree explained the decision to the paper:
"It was the right time to rebrand ourselves to reflect the growth that we've been going through as a better representation of what we're doing."
That same evening, the Butler Eagle reported, plaques on the donor wall at the Armstrong Great Lawn already showed the new name. The lawn was the Community Chest's 2024 Project of the Year. It opened officially at Celebrate Cranberry in May 2025, and the township described it as a pedestrian-friendly shared space connecting the Municipal Center to the rest of the community. On its Project of the Year page, the foundation lists past projects that include the Great Lawn, the Library Makerspace and Miracle League upgrades, and it describes itself as all-volunteer.
So the group behind the tree gallery also paid for the lawn where Santa now lights the tree. Giving the gallery its own fundraising night extends that work, and the evening takes place in a building whose front lawn the foundation helped pay for.
What November 13 Includes
According to the township's October 19 announcement, Mistletoe and Masterpieces runs from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Municipal Center, 2525 Rochester Road. The evening includes:
- More than 200 artworks for sale from artists across six counties
- Nearly four dozen holiday trees decorated by local nonprofits
- Food, drinks and seasonal entertainment
The township also presents the building as "an emerging arts destination." It has 106 feet of dedicated gallery wall plus hundreds of feet of display panels, which the township says make it one of the region's largest continuous spaces for showing art. Cranberry Artists Network work will hang throughout the building, beyond the gallery wall. The Cranberry Artists Network calls the show "a new holiday tradition" and opened juried entries to artists living within 150 miles of Cranberry, whether or not they are members.
Ticket details from the Cranberry Foundation's event page:
| Detail | What the foundation lists |
|---|---|
| Price | $40 for one adult ticket, $35 each when buying two or more |
| Included | One cocktail, beer or wine, then a cash bar; heavy hors d'oeuvres; live music; a chance to meet the artists |
| Age | 21+ |
| Ticket deadline | Friday, November 6, 2026 |
The deadline comes a full week before the event, so anyone planning a November 13 night out has until Friday, November 6 to buy tickets.
Proceeds go to the Cranberry Foundation's Project of the Year. The foundation's donation page names the current campaign as the "2025-2026 Project of the Year: Outdoor Fitness Court," built with the National Fitness Campaign as a free outdoor wellness facility. When the Butler Eagle covered the 2025 announcement, it reported the fitness court's planned location as Graham Park.
November 20 Stays the Family Night
The 21+ rule is the clearest sign that the two Fridays serve different crowds. November 13 is an adult fundraiser. November 20 keeps the format Cranberry families already know.
So far the township calendar lists Santa's First Stop at the Municipal Center from 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday, November 20, without this year's activities or vendors. Last year's lineup shows what the event usually includes. In 2025, Santa arrived by fire truck to light the tree on the Armstrong Great Lawn. The evening also had live reindeer, a visit from Mrs. Claus, a Steel City LUG Lego display, caroling by the Dutilh Choir, the Polar Express Experience run by the Cranberry Township Early Learning Center, and Makerspace crafts from the Cranberry Public Library. Food came from Chick-fil-A, Cousins Maine Lobster, Cranberry Dairy Queen, Fun Fore All, The Flame BBQ and The Munching Moose. Those are 2025 details, and the 2026 version will be whatever the township announces closer to the date.
The tree gallery has been part of every Santa's First Stop since at least 2022. This year the trees will already have been up for a week when Santa arrives.
Two Fridays on Rochester Road
| Mistletoe and Masterpieces | Santa's First Stop | |
|---|---|---|
| Date | Friday, November 13 | Friday, November 20 |
| Time | 6 to 9 p.m. | 6 to 8 p.m. |
| Hosts | Cranberry Foundation and Cranberry Artists Network | Cranberry Township |
| Who it's for | Adults 21+, ticketed | Families; 2026 details not yet posted |
| Where | Municipal Center, 2525 Rochester Road | Municipal Center, 2525 Rochester Road |
The art exhibit stays up after both evenings. The Cranberry Artists Network lists Mistletoe & Masterpieces at the Municipal Center from November 9, 2026 through January 2, 2027. To visit on a weekday afternoon or bring out-of-town guests in December, call the township at 724-776-4806 before you go to ask about viewing times.
Over five Novembers, the Municipal Center has picked up a new lawn, a lit tree outside, a gallery wall inside, and now a second holiday Friday. The Cranberry Foundation, the volunteer group that used to be the Community Chest, funded the lawn and now runs the tree gallery on its own night.
The Slivka / Reilley Team follows Cranberry's community calendar as closely as its listings, because what goes on at the Municipal Center is part of what living here offers. If you'd like to know what your Cranberry home is worth before the holidays, Get an Instant Home Valuation and we'll send you local numbers.
