58 Ways to Get Into the Holiday Spirit

Everyone has their own way of connecting with their inner holiday spirit. Thankfully, Rochester has plenty of ways to embrace the season whenever the spirit moves you!

Many of these events take place every year, but to ensure you have the most current information, please know this is updated for 2019. Some event dates yet to be determined, and we keep adding more events as we hear of them, so check back as the holiday season grows closer!

‘Tis the season of giving

1. Volunteer your time and talent
2. Trees for Troops
3. Pirate Toy Fund
4. Salvation Army
5. Buy your holiday pie from Special Touch Bakery
6. 74 Rochester experiences that make great gifts

Tours of neighborhoods & homes

1. Neighborhood Holiday Lights around Rochester annually, Thanksgiving weekend through New Years Eve
2. Holidays at the Rochester Public Market December 1, December 8, December 15
3. Park Ave Holiday Open House 2019 Date TBD
4. Yuletide in the Country Tours at GCV&M December 6-8, 13-15 & 19-21
5. Corn Hill Tour of Homes Saturday, December 7
6. Cobblestone Museum Holiday Tour of Homes Saturday, December 7
7. Candlelight Night in Pittsford Tuesday, December 3
8. Eastman Museum Holiday Homecoming 2019 Date TBD
9. Festival of Lights in Clifton Springs December 6
10. Sonnenberg Gardens & Mansion Holiday Home Tour 2019 Date TBD

Holiday-themed displays & events

1. Sweet Creations Gingerbread House Display at Eastman House 2019 dates TBD
2. Canandaigua Christkindl Market, a European inspired holiday market, November 8-10
3. Granger Homestead Festival of Trees November 8-December 1
4. Garden Factory Holiday Music & Lights Show Saturdays & Sundays, November 23-December 22
5. A Magical Cirque Christmas Kodak Center, November 26
6. Glass Wonderland at the Corning Museum of Glass 2019 dates TBD
7. German/American Christmas Market Old Country Store and More – 1849, 2019 date TBD
8. Nutcracker November 27, 29, 30, and December 1
9. Lighting of the Genesee Brew House Keg Tree 2019 date TBD
10. RIT Orchestra & RIT Singers: Advent Lessons & Carols December 6
11. CLA Performing Arts Ensembles: Annual Holiday Concert December 7
12. Sparkle Gaffer District, Corning, December 7
13. The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Musical Kodak Center, December 7
14. Roberts Wesleyan College Christmas Gala December 7 & 8
15. The Piano Bar: Holiday Edition Out Alliance, December 8
16. Mannheim Steamroller Christmas Auditorium Theatre, December 11
17. Moscow Ballet’s Great Russian Nutcracker Auditorium Theatre, December 12
18. Handel’s Messiah Eastman Theatre, December 12
19. NYS Ballet presents The Nutcracker Roberts Wesleyan December 13-15
20. Rochester Tuba Christmas Eastman Theatre, December 15
21. Trans-Siberian Orchestra Blue Cross Arena, December 18
22. Gala Holiday Pops December 21, 22, 23

“It’s a Wonderful Life”

1. …in the South Wedge December 7
2. …in Seneca Falls 2019 dates TBA
3. …Live From WVL Radio Theatre at Nazareth College, December 7
4. …It WAS a Wonderful Life November 30-December 29

“A Christmas Carol”

1. … at Geva 2019 dates TBD
2. … in Skaneateles “Dickens Christmas” Weekends through December 22, starting the Friday after Thanksgiving
3. … at Sonnenberg Gardens “Dickens Christmas” 2019 dates TBD
4. …or just go Christmas Caroling!

Roc Holiday Village

1. Liberty Poll Lighting & Roc Holiday Village 2019 date TBD

The City of Rochester Holiday Village is a holiday market at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Park at Manhattan Square that will be open on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays in December until Christmas. At the village, you can visit Santa, shop for gifts from local artisans and vendors, eat, drink, ice skate, and much more! Admission is free, visits with Santa are free, and ice skating and skate rentals are also free!

On December 1, enjoy our longstanding tradition of Lighting the Liberty Pole, then parade over to MLK Park and help to cut the ribbon on the first ever Roc Holiday Village! The holiday event is aimed at bringing the spirit back downtown and you may even get a glimpse of at least one car from the Midtown Monorail.

Holiday train rides and displays

1. Medina Railroad Polar Express Saturdays beginning Thanksgiving weekend through mid-December
2. Garden Factory Holiday Family Fun Model Train Weekends beginning Thanksgiving weekend through mid-December
3. Edgerton Model Train Room Holiday Open House Saturdays in December, plus a few weekdays during the break
4. New York Museum of Transportation Holly Trolley Rides Sundays in December
5. Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum Santa Trains Saturdays in December

Fun on the farm

1. Pick Your Own Tree from Thanksgiving weekend through mid-December
2. Winter at Powers Farm Market open daily, with extended hours the week leading up to Christmas

Let it snow!

1. 9 Places to Rent Snowshoes
2. 15 Places for Downhill and Cross-Country Skiing
3. 22 Sledding Hills
4. 19 Ice Skating Rinks

some pictures in the post by pixabay

How do you get into the holiday spirit?

Share your thoughts with us in the comments. Your insight and experience is invaluable!