In October of 1929, the city of Pittsburgh turned into a veritable fairyland, celebrating the Lights Golden Jubilee, in honor of the fifty-year anniversary of Thomas Edison’s invention of the incandescent electric lamp. The celebration, which began on October 23 and concluded on October 28, included a parade of illuminated floats, a pageant of lights hosted at Forbes Field, and an air show at Bettis Field. Over 25,000 people attended festivities at Forbes Field while a record-breaking 70,000 spectators journeyed to Bettis Field on October 28 to witness the air circus.

The Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce was responsible for the week’s festivities and decided to combine the tribute to Edison with a tribute to Pittsburgh’s groundbreaking industrial firms, known as “Fifty Years of Pittsburgh Progress a Glorious Success.” The celebration included a Pageant of Light and Progress at Forbes Field.

The celebration concluded on the evening of October 28, when the city turned the lights on. The city sparkled with all of the spotlights shining. The evening ended with a stunning fireworks display.