169 Annual Events Around Rochester

Centered on food, drink, music, and culture, these festivals and events around Rochester bring our community together throughout the year.

Fragrant lilac, peony, and rose festivals kick off the celebrations. Regional agricultural days focus on crops like garlic, strawberries, corn, and apples, while the state and county fairs recognize our farms with exhibitions and contests. Celebrating Rochester’s diversity, Puerto Rican, Hodinöhsö:ni’, Greek, Italian, Polish, and Ukrainian heritage festivals share their culture.

Find something to enjoy all year long!

Skip to a specific month:
JAN | FEB | MAR
APR | MAY | JUN 
JUL | AUG | SEP
OCT | NOV | DEC

Reoccurring events during the warmer months

1. Food Truck Rodeo Last Wednesday night of the month, April through September
2. Flower City Days at the Market Sundays mid-May and early-June
3. Concerts by the Shore Wednesday nights, June through August
4. Party in the Park Thursday nights running roughly early-June to early-August
5. Bands on the Bricks Friday nights roughly early-July to early-August
6. Zoo Brew Fridays nights, once a month May through September, with special events throughout the year
7. Market Days at the International Plaza, mid-May through mid-October

April events around Rochester

City of Rochester

1. Rochester Red Wings Opening Day
2. Mayday! Semi-Annual Underground Crafts + Art
3. Gateway Music Festival bi-annual

• Food Truck Rodeo Last Wednesday night of the month, April through September

Monroe County

1. Imagine RIT: Innovation & Creativity Festival

Greater Rochester

1. Rochester Erotic Arts Festival Auburn

Beyond Greater Rochester

1. Dyngus Day Buffalo

May events around Rochester

City of Rochester

1. Lilac Fest
2. Rochester International Films Festival
3. Rochester Twilight Criterium
4. Ellwanger Garden Lilac Weekends
5. Rochester Dachshund Parade

• Food Truck Rodeo Last Wednesday night of the month, April through September
• Flower City Days at the Market Sundays mid-May and early-June
• Zoo Brew Fridays nights, once a month May through September, with special events throughout the year
• Market Days at the International Plaza, mid-May through mid-October

Greater Rochester

1. Letchworth Red, White and Blue Balloon Festival
2. Linwood Gardens Tree Peony Festival

Beyond Greater Rochester

1. Buffalo Cherry Blossom Festival
2. Glass Fest Corning

June events around Rochester

City of Rochester

1. Rochester International Jazz Fest
2. Rochester Harborfest
3. Rochester Real Beer Expo
4. Rochester Cocktail Revival
5. Ellwanger Garden Peony & Rose Weekend
6. The Fast & The Furriest®
7. Maplewood Rose Festival (postponed)
8. RPO Around the Town Concerts
9. Rochester Deaf Festival

• Food Truck Rodeo Last Wednesday night of the month, April through September
• Flower City Days at the Market Sundays mid-May and early-June
• Concerts by the Shore Wednesday nights, June through August
• Party in the Park Thursday nights running roughly early-June to early-August
• Zoo Brew Friday nights, once a month May through September, with special events throughout the year
• Market Days at the International Plaza, mid-May through mid-October

Monroe County

1. Fairport Canal Days
2. GCV&M Celtic Faire
3. Mendon Fire Department Carnival
4. Mendon Ponds Outdoor Expo
5. Hamlin Wheel Fest

Greater Rochester

1. National Warplane Museum – Geneseo Airshow
2. Shortsville Fireman’s Carnival
3. Albion Strawberry Festival
4. Keuka Arts Festival

Beyond Greater Rochester

1. Allentown Art Festival 
2. Ithaca Festival of the Arts

July events around Rochester

City of Rochester

1. Corn Hill Arts Festival
2. ROC Pride Fest
3. Shakespeare in the Park
4. Finger Lakes Choral Festival

• Food Truck Rodeo Last Wednesday night of the month, April through September
• Concerts by the Shore Wednesday nights, June through August
• Party in the Park Thursday nights running roughly early-June to early-August
• Bands on the Bricks Friday nights roughly early-July to early-August
• Zoo Brew Friday nights, once a month May through September, with special events throughout the year
• Market Days at the International Plaza, mid-May through mid-October

Monroe County

1. Hilton Fireman’s Carnival
2. Hamlin Fireman’s Carnival
3. Webster Fireman’s Carnival
4. Rochester International Jewish Film Festival
5. GCV&M Independence Day
6. GCV&M Civil War Living History Weekend
7. Chil-E Fest
8. Macedonian Festival
9. Spencerport Canal Days
10. Webster Waterfront Art Festival

Greater Rochester

1. Ganondagan Indigenous Music & Arts Festival Victor
2. Orleans County Fair Albion
3. Ontario County Fair Canandaigua
4. Yates County Fair Penn Yan
5. Genesee County Fair Batavia
6. Seneca County Fair Waterloo
7. Canandaigua Lakefront Art Show
8. Canandaigua Art & Music Festival
9. Art in the Gardens Canandaigua
10. Lyons Peppermint Days
11. LeRoy Oatka Festival
12. Seneca Falls Canal Festival
13. Watkins Glen Waterfront Festival
14. Finger Lakes Wine Festival Watkins Glen
15. Perry Chalk Art Festival & Taste of Summer

Beyond Greater Rochester

1. Old Home Days Williamsville
2. Sterling Renaissance Festival

August events around Rochester

City of Rochester

1. Puerto Rican Festival
2. Flour City Brewers Fest
3. St. Stanislaus Polish Arts Festival 
4. Ukrainian Arts & Craft Festival
5. Rochester Teen Film Festival
6. Park Ave Summer Festival

• Food Truck Rodeo Last Wednesday night of the month, April through September
• Concerts by the Shore Wednesday nights, June through August
• Party in the Park Thursday nights running roughly early-June to early-August
• Bands on the Bricks Friday nights roughly early-July to early-August
• Zoo Brew Friday nights, once a month May through September, with special events throughout the year
• Market Days at the International Plaza, mid-May through mid-October

Monroe County

1. Monroe County Fair
2. Fairport Music and Food Festival
3. GCV&M A Novel Weekend
4. GCV&M Fiddlers’ Fair & Making Music Weekend
5. Rush Fireman’s Carnival
6. St. Rita’s Annual Fiesta
7. Webster Jazz Festival
8. Brockport Summer Arts Festival

Greater Rochester

1. New York State Festival of Balloons Dansville
2. Lima Crossroads Blues Festival
3. Phelps Sauerkraut Festival
4. Wayne County Fair Palmyra
5. Wyoming County Fair Pike
6. Avon Corn Festival
7. Pageant of Steam Canandaigua

Beyond Greater Rochester

1. Elmwood Avenue Festival of the Arts Buffalo
2. New York State Fair Syracuse

September events around Rochester

City of Rochester

1. Clothesline Art Festival
2. Rochester Fringe Festival
3. Rochester VegFest
4. Flower City Comic Con
5. Artist Row Juried Art Show

• Food Truck Rodeo Last Wednesday night of the month, April through September
• Zoo Brew Friday nights, once a month May through September, with special events throughout the year
• Market Days at the International Plaza, mid-May through mid-October

Monroe County

1. Barktober Fest Walk for the Animals Fairport
2. Tinker Park’s Honey Harvest Festival Henrietta
3. Purple Foot Festival Fairport
4. Turtle Hill Folk Festival Rush

Greater Rochester

1. Naples Grape Festival
2. Macedon Center Lumberjack Festival
3. Appleumpkin Festival Wyoming
4. Livingston County Harvest Bounty Fair Caledonia
5. KettleFest Victor
6. Palmyra Canaltown Days

Beyond Greater Rochester

1. Cuba Garlic Festival
2. Niagara Celtic Olcott
3. CNY Tomato Fest Auburn
4. Niagara County Peach Festival Lewiston

October events around Rochester

City of Rochester

1. Rochester Antiquarian Book Fair
2. ImageOut 
3. Rochester Fashion Week
4. Seneca Park ZooBoo
5. ROC the Riverway

• Market Days at the International Plaza, mid-May through mid-October

Monroe County

1. Stokoe Farms Pumpkin Patch and Harvest Fest Wheatland
2. Hilton Apple Festival
3. Fairport Oktoberfest
4. GCV&M Agricultural Fair
5. GCV&M Spirits of the Past: A Walk in the Dark

Greater Rochester

1. Genesee Valley Hunt Races Geneseo
2. Letchworth Arts & Crafts Show

Beyond Greater Rochester

1. Penn Dixie Fossil Park’s Earth Science Day Buffalo
2. Locktober Fest Lockport

November events around Rochester

City of Rochester

1. Rochester Children’s Book Festival
2. Rochester Maker Faire
3. Park Avenue Holiday Open House
4. Sweet Creations Gingerbread House Display at Eastman House

Greater Rochester

1. GCV&M Holiday Market & Preparing for Winter
2. Granger Homestead Festival of Trees Canandaigua
3. Anniversary of the Signing of the Canandaigua Treaty

Beyond Greater Rochester

1. Dickens Christmas in Skaneateles through December
2. Glass Wonderland at the Corning Museum of Glass
3. Great New York State Fair Model Train Fair
4. Holiday Valley’s Fall Beer & Wine Festival Ellicottville

December events around Rochester

City of Rochester

1. Liberty Pole Lighting
2. Roc Holiday Village
3. Holidays at the Market
4. Corn Hill Tour of Homes 
5. Eastman Museum Holiday Homecoming 
6. Lamberton Conservatory Holiday Show 
7. It’s a Wonderful Life in the South Wedge
8. Lighting of the Genesee Brew House Keg Tree 

Monroe County

1. Garden Factory’s Holiday Lights Show
2. GCV&M Yuletide in the Country Tours & Dinner
3. GCV&M Holiday Open House & Breakfast with St. Nick
4. Fairport’s Come Home for the Holidays
5. Pittsford’s Candlelight Night

Greater Rochester

1. Festival of Lights Clifton Springs
2. Cobblestone Museum Holiday Tour of Homes Albion
3. It’s a Wonderful Life in Seneca Falls

Beyond Greater Rochester

1. Lights on the Lake Syracuse
2. It WAS a Wonderful Life Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo
3. Sparkle Corning

January events around Rochester

1. First Day Guided Hikes varies
2. Mendon Ponds Winterfest

February events around Rochester

City of Rochester

1. Lakeside Winter Celebration
2. Polar Plunge
3. George Eastman Museum Dutch Connection

Monroe County

1. NY Ice Wine & Culinary Festival

Greater Rochester

1. Ganondagan Native American Winter Games and Sports
2. NordicFest at Cumming Nature Center

March events around Rochester

City of Rochester

1. St. Patrick’s Day Parade
2. Rochester International Auto Show

Which are your favorite annual events around Rochester?

Please share your thoughts and stories with us in the comments. Your insight and experience are invaluable!