Access Pittsburgh: Thanksgiving 2020 edition

The 411 on the 412 is coming a little early this week! Enjoy this week’s top stories and hope you have a happy and safe Thanksgiving weekend.

WPXI Holiday Parade celebrates 40 years with parade retrospective

It isn’t the holiday season without a Pittsburgh tradition: The WPXI Holiday Parade!

The parade is not physically happening this year due to the pandemic, but we are keeping the tradition alive with a holiday special.

The WPXI Holiday Parade Celebrating 40 Years is a two-hour retrospective highlighting the many magical moments that made up the annual WPXI Holiday Parade. Countless celebrities, marvelous marching bands, fabulous floats, dazzling dance groups and billowing balloons have made the WPXI Holiday Parade a must-see Pittsburgh tradition since 1980!

Also known as the Celebrate the Season Parade and My Macy’s Holiday Parade, the event has always featured something for kids of all ages! Join us as we take a look back at some of the most memorable parade moments, including celebrity interviews, singing and dance performances, huggable mascots and more.

The special will air on Nov. 28 from 9 a.m. until 11 a.m. on WPXI-TV, wpxi.com, the WPXI News mobile app for iOS and Android and our WPXI Now streaming apps for Apple TV, Roku and Amazon Fire.

Inside look at the 2020 National Dog Show

NBC is ready to keep a favorite tradition alive for Thanksgiving Day: The National Dog Show. The competition will air at 12 p.m. local time.

The fan favorite holiday special will be co-hosted by author and Broadway star John O’Hurley and American Kennel Club-licensed judge David Frei.

Due to the pandemic, The National Dog Show will be without spectators, vendors, sponsors and media. In addition to this, judging will be done with strict safety guidelines and the competition is limited to 600 dogs, but that only makes the competition more fierce.

O’Hurley and Frei sat down with See and Be Seen, who dished on everything you need to know about the 2020 show.

Jingle Bar pop-up opens in Original Oyster House

The Jingle Bar pop-up will open Black Friday in the Original Oyster House’s side dining rooms.

According to a news release, the bar will be open Wednesday through Saturday from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. and on Sunday from noon to 9 p.m. It will feature seasonal cocktails and holiday-themed food. The Original Oyster House is located in Market Square, home to Peoples Gas Holiday Market.

Click here to see the cocktail menu.

Jeopardy! production to begin Monday

Following the death of beloved longtime host Alex Trebek, who died this month after a battle with pancreatic cancer, Jeopardy! will start production again next Monday.

A permanent or long-term replacement host hasn’t been named yet, so the show will be bringing on interim guest hosts starting with new episodes in January 2021.

Ken Jennings, who holds the all-time records for most consecutive games won and highest winnings in regular-season play, will be the first interim guest host.

The show will honor Trebek by airing 10 of his best episodes the last two weeks of this year. The last week of episodes Trebek filmed will air the first week of January.

Jeopardy! airs on Channel 11 weekdays at 7 p.m.

Channel 11 News Anchor Peggy Finnegan announces retirement

Veteran Channel 11 News Anchor Peggy Finnegan has announced her retirement from the WPXI News desk, following a distinguished 30-year career with the station.

While Peggy is stepping down from anchoring the noon and 5 p.m. newscasts, she will always be an important part of the Channel 11 family, and viewers will still see her as a part of special report coverage and community events throughout the year.

Watch a touching tribute to her here, and don’t miss Peggy’s last day anchoring the noon and 5 p.m. newscasts on Dec. 18th. Channel 11 Anchor Lisa Sylvester will then join David at 5 p.m., along with 6 p.m., 11 p.m. and on Channel 11 News on Fox 53 at 10.

Thanksgiving meals to go

Thanksgiving is next week, and may look different for people this year who are scaling back the size of their celebrations.

If this is you, you may be wondering what to do about that delicious meal. Lucky for you, many chain and local restaurants are open on Thanksgiving for those who want to spend time with loved ones instead of spending time in the kitchen, and they are offering ready-to-eat meals.

Bucca Di Beppo, Boston Market, The Capital Grille and Cracker Barrel are a few on that list. See even more participating restaurants and deals here.

GOOD JUJU: Juju gives back in a big way for Thanksgiving

350 home cooked meals: that’s how many people Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Juju Smith-Schuster hopes to help this Thanksgiving.

According to our partners at TribLive.com, he wants to make sure seniors are taken care of, especially when they might not be able to spend time with loved ones or have a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. Through his Juju Foundation, he is teaming with Dive Bar & Grille, ACORx Pharmacy and Ten Four Social to provide the meals.

Smith-Schuster and partners picked recipients based on the neediest population, from seniors who will be home alone to couples who might not be going to the homes of loved ones. Some can’t physically leave their homes. Recipients include people living in the South Side, Homewood, Garfield and Oakland.

Steelers-Ravens Thanksgiving matchup postponed to Sunday

The Steelers-Ravens game that was set to air on Channel 11 on Thanksgiving has been postponed due to a COVID-19 outbreak among the Baltimore players and staff.

According to the NFL, the game will now be played on Sunday at 1:15 p.m. on WPXI Channel 11.

Ahead of the game, “This Is Us” star Milo Ventimiglia was to give message to fans.

According to a People Magazine exclusive, Ventimiglia’s virtual holiday greeting will feature Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin, Baltimore head coach John Harbaugh and players from both teams.

What the message will be is a mystery until the Sunday matchup on Channel 11.

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Cox Media Group