Everyone has their own way of connecting with their inner holiday spirit. Mine doesn’t bubble to the surface until the day after Thanksgiving, sometimes around the first snowfall, but certainly not before Halloween! I know others who have a Christmas countdown starting on December 26. 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 2017. We’ll update this each year by mid-November.
1. ‘Tis the season of giving
- Volunteer your time and talent
- Trees for Troops
- Pirate Toy Fund
- Salvation Army
- Buy your holiday pie from Special Touch Bakery
2. Fun on the farm
- Pick Your Own Tree Open Thanksgiving weekend through mid-December
- Winter at Powers Farm Market Daily, with extended hours the week leading up to Christmas
3. Neighborhoods & homes
- Neighborhood Holiday Lights around Rochester Thanksgiving weekend through New Years Eve
- Park Ave Holiday Open House Nov. 30
- Holidays at the Rochester Public Market Nov. 26, Dec. 3, & Dec. 10
- Yuletide in the Country Tours at Genesee Country Village & Museum Dec. 1-3, 8-10 and 15-17
- Festival of Lights in Clifton Springs Dec. 1
- Parade of Lights in Scottsville Dec. 2
- Come Home for the Holidays in Fairport Dec. 2
- Corn Hill Tour of Homes Dec. 2 (sold out)
- Cobblestone Museum Holiday Tour of Homes Dec. 2
- Candlelight Night in Pittsford Dec 5
- Eastman Museum Holiday Homecoming Dec. 7
- Gingerbread Festival in Webster Dec. 9 & 10
4. “It’s a Wonderful Life”
- …in the South Wedge Dec. 2
- …in Seneca Falls Dec. 7-10
- …at Dryden Theater, Eastman Museum Dec. 10 (Dec. 6 sold out)
- …at Spotlight Studios for the Performing Arts Dec 15-17
5. Holiday-themed displays & events
- Lighting of the Genesee Brew House Keg Tree Dec. 1
- The Music of Emmet Otter’s Jug Band Christmas Dec 1-3
- Liberty Poll Lighting & Family Ice Skating Night Dec. 2
- Sparkle (Gaffer District, Corning) Dec. 2
- I-Square Comfort & Joy Dec. 2
- The Artful Gardener Holiday Open House Dec. 2
- Scottsville’s Annual Parade of Lights + Fireworks! Dec. 2
- German/American Christmas Market at the Olde Country Store and More – 1849 Dec. 2-3
- Christmas at Tinker Park Dec. 2-3
- Granger Homestead Festival of Trees ends Dec. 3
- Sweet Creations Gingerbread House Display at Eastman House ends Dec. 13
- Garden Factory Holiday Music & Lights Show ends Dec. 17
- Holiday Lights of Greater Rochester Drive through light displays at Avon Vintage Drive-In
- Glass Wonderland at the Corning Museum of Glass
- Rochester Museum & Science Center’s Strassenberg Planetarium Holiday Laser Light Show
6. Dance, music & theater events
- RPO & Rochester City Ballet present The Nutcracker Nov. 22-26
- Nazareth College presents A Charlie Brown Christmas Dec. 1
- Greece Symphony Orchestra and Greece Choral Society: Music for the Holiday Season Dec. 3
- Rochester Oratorio Society presents A City Sings for the Season Dec. 3
- Nazareth College presents Rhythmic Circus: Red & Green Dec. 8
- NYS Ballet presents The Nutcracker Dec. 8-11
- Rochester Tuba Christmas Dec. 9
- Roberts Wesleyan Christmas Gala Dec. 9
- RPO OrKIDStra Holiday Special: The Snowman and The Bear Dec. 10
- RBTL presents A Christmas Story Dec. 12-17
- Hochstein’s HochStrongs Holiday Concert Dec. 15
- Rochester Gay Men’s Chorus presents My Favorite Things Dec. 16-17
- RPO presents Gala Holiday Pops Dec. 21-23
7. “A Christmas Carol”
- Geva presents A Christmas Carol Nov. 22-Dec. 24
- Skaneateles Dickens Christmas Weekends through December 23, starting the Friday after Thanksgiving
- Sonnenberg Gardens Dickens Christmas Dec. 2
- or just go Christmas Caroling! Anytime! How about Christmas in July?
8. Holiday trains
- Medina Railroad Polar Express Saturdays beginning Thanksgiving weekend through mid-December
- Garden Factory Holiday Family Fun Model Train Weekends beginning Thanksgiving weekend through mid-December
- Edgerton Model Train Room Holiday Open House Saturdays in December, plus a few weekdays during the break
- New York Museum of Transportation Holly Trolley Rides Sundays in December
- Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum Santa Trains Saturdays in December
How do you get into the holiday spirit?
Here are a few ideas to give Rochester experiences as gifts instead of stuff
some pictures in the post by pixabay
