101 Holiday Happenings in Rochester - 2025 | Kids Out and About Rochester

101 Holiday Happenings in Rochester - 2025

 

The activities we've listed here are confirmed for this year, but many require reserving ahead of time, so click through to make arrangements, and keep in mind that things can be canceled at any time, so be sure to check. If we're missing an activity that should be on our list, please email Mindy Mangan at mindy@kidsoutandabout.com. (Please make sure to include a link to the event when you email. Thank you!)

Below are items that have been posted to our calendar, both virtual and in-person. If you are affiliated with a business hosting a holiday event that should be on our calendar, we'd love to see it there... it's free to postClick here for instructions about how to add your organization to our list and easily post your events to our calendar!

And... if you don't already receive our free weekly e-newsletter for Rochester, we have two: one for our BeyondTheNest.com site (for adults who want to know about local arts, culture, and recreation) and one for KidsOutAndAbout.com (for parents and grandparents who want to know about family-friendly events in the Rochester area). Click the link to sign up today for the newsletter that best suits you! In the meantime, enjoy the ideas on our calendar below for holiday fun!


Santa Sightings

Multiple dates starting Nov 22, 2025 All Aboard the Wonderland Express! - Arcade and Attica Railroad
Multiple dates starting Nov 22, 2025 The Polar Express Train Ride - Medina Railroad Museum
Nov 22 - Dec 24, 2025 Visit Santa at Greece Ridge Mall
Nov 22, 2025 Santa Welcome Parade at Eastview Mall
Nov 22 - Dec 24, 2025 Visit Santa at Eastview Mall
Multiple dates starting Nov 28, 2025 A Magical Christmas Adventure - Hidden Valley Animal Adventure
Multiple dates starting Nov 28, 2025 Santa Rides to the North Pole
Nov 29, 2025 Illuminate Light Parade - Canandaigua
Nov 30, 2025 Pancake Breakfast with Santa - Henrietta
Dec 5, 2025 Community Tree Lighting - Chili
Multiple dates starting Dec 5, 2025 Visit with Santa at Roc Holiday Village
Dec 6, 2025 Breakfast with Santa - Chili
Dec 6, 2025 Winter in the Village - Dansville
Dec 6, 7, 13, 14, 2025 Holiday Pet Photos - Lollypop Farm
Dec 6, 2025 Geneva Rotary Santa Express Cinema
Dec 6, 2025 Winter Wonderland - Village of Webster
Dec 6, 7, 13, & 14, 2025 Shadow Hill Breakfast with Santa
Dec 7, 13, & 14, 2025 Holly Trolley - New York Museum of Transportation
Dec 6 and 13, 2025 Family Fun Day: Stars with Santa - Strasenburgh Planetarium
Dec 7 & 21, 2025 Breakfast with St. Nick - GCV&M
Dec 13, 2024 - still seeking 2025 info Santa's Coming to The Fire House - Gates Fire District Headquarters
Dec 13, 2025 An Afternoon with Santa - Webster
Dec 14, 2025 Santa Visits Main Street Mercantile - Fairport
Dec 14 & 21, 2025 Breakfast with Mr. and Mrs. Claus - Ontario Play and Cafe

Christmas Community Events

Nov 8 & 9, 2025 Holiday Market - GCVM
Multiple dates starting Nov 8, 2025 Sweet Creations Gingerbread Displays - George Eastman Museum
Multiple dates starting Nov 8, 2025 Tabletop Tree Display - George Eastman Museum
Multiple dates starting Nov 8, 2025 Wreath Display - George Eastman Museum
Multiple dates starting Nov 14, 2025 Festival Of Trees - Granger Homestead and Carriage Museum
Multiple dates starting Nov 15, 2025 Holiday Laser Light Show - Strasenburgh Planetarium
Nov 28, 2025 - Jan 3, 2026 Holiday Magic: Cart Tours at the Seneca Park Zoo
Nov 29, 2025 - Dec 24, 2025 Train Display - The Garden Factory
Nov 29, 2025 Lima Tree Lighting Ceremony
Multiple dates starting Nov 29, 2025 Visit with the Reindeer - Shortsville Reindeer Farm, LLC
Nov 30, 2025 The Old Farm's Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony
Dec 2, 2025 Pittsford's Annual Candlelight Night - Port of Pittsford
Multiple dates starting Dec 5, 2025 Roc Holiday Village
Multiple dates starting Dec 5, 2025 Yuletide in the Country Tours & Dinner - GCV&M
Dec 6, 2025 It's a Wonderful Life in the South Wedge
Dec 6, 2025 Rochester Ugly Sweater 5K
Dec 6, 2025 Holiday Lights and Magic - Henrietta
Dec 6, 2025 Avon Holiday Spectacular
Dec 6 & 7, 2025 Come Home for the Holidays - Fairport
Dec 7, 2025 Holiday Tree / Menorah Lighting Ceremony - Irondequoit Town Hall
Dec 7, 2025 Visit with the Grinch - Perinton Community/Aquatic Center
Dec 13, 2025 Sea Breeze Vol. Fire Association Christmas Parade
Dec 13, 2025 2025 Geneseo Christmas Walk presents: Windows of Hope
Dec 14, 2025 Santa Stampede, Rochester - Benefitting The Child Advocacy Center of Greater Rochester
Dec 13, 2025 Honeoye Falls Fire Department Christmas Parade
Dec 20, 2025 Marion Holiday Parade
Dec 21, 2025 Reindeer Run - Blue Cross Arena

Nutcrackers

Nov 15, 2025 Nutcracker Parent Night Out - Studio East Dance Company
Multiple dates starting Nov 26, 2025 The Nutcracker - RPO
Nov 30, 2025 The Nutcracker - Ithaca Ballet
Dec 2, 2025 Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet - RBTL
Dec 5 - 7, 2025 The Nutcracker - Fort Hill Performance Arts Center
Dec 12 & 13, 2025 The Nutcracker - Genesee Dance Theatre

Holiday Concerts

Dec 6, 2025 New Horizons Symphonic Band Holiday Concert - Brighton High School
Dec 7, 2025 Sounds of the Season - Tower Fine Arts Center
Dec 10, 2025 Live from Hochstein: Holiday Horns
Dec 12, 2025 Holiday Prism Concert
Dec 12, 2025 December Holiday Concert - Perinton Concert Band
Dec 17, 2025 A Celtic Christmas - Smith Center for the Arts
Dec 17, 2025 Live from Hochstein: A Cup of Good Cheer
Dec 19, 2025 A Joyful Christmas - Rochester Oratorio Society
Dec 19 - 21, 2025 Gala Holiday Pops - RPO

Holiday Theatre

Nov 15, 2025 Champions of Magic: Holiday Spectacular
Multiple dates starting Nov 22, 2025 A Christmas Carol - Geva Theatre
Multiple dates starting Nov 26, 2025 Jim Henson's Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas
Nov 28 & 29, 2025 A Christmas Story - Dryden Theatre
Dec 4, 2025 A Charlie Brown Christmas: Live On Stage
Dec 5, 10, & 13, 2025 It's a Wonderful Life - Dryden Theatre
Dec 6, 2025 A Nostalgic Night with Macaulay Culkin following Home Alone
Dec 11 - 14, 2025 Home for the Holidays with The Calamari Sisters
Dec 12, 2025 Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol - Smith Center for the Arts
Dec 13, 2025 Cirque Musica Holiday Wonderland - Kodak Center
Dec 18 & 20, 2025 A Christmas Carol - Dryden Theatre
Multiple dates starting Dec 18, 2025 Dr. Seuss's How The Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical

Living Nativities

Weekends Nov 23 - Dec 8, 2025 Live Nativity - Stokoe Farms
Dec 19 - Dec 24, 2025 Live Nativity - Powers Farm Market
Dec 12, 2025 Nativity Night & Family Fun - Crossroads Community Church
Dec 12 & 13, 2025 Live Nativity - Avon Wesleyan Church

Christmas Tree Experience

Starting Nov 22, 2025 Wilbert's Christmas Tree Farm
Weekends Nov 23 - Dec 8, 2025 The Stokoe Farms Christmas Experience
Starting late Nov, 2025 Woody Acres
Starting Nov 28, 2025 Crossen Tree Farm
2025 Starting date TBD Bauman's Farm Market
  Click here for our full list of places to get live Christmas Trees

Holiday Lights

Multiple dates starting Nov 17, 2025 Lights on the Lake Drive-Thru - Onondaga Lake Park
Multiple dates starting Dec 2, 2025 Holiday Spectacular at Blue Barn's Campus in Hilton
Dec 5, 2025 2025 Keg Tree Lighting - Genesee Brew House
Multiple dates starting Dec 6, 2025 Holiday Lights Tour - Child Advocacy Center
Multiple dates starting Dec 12, 2025 Christmas at RCCM
Multiple dates starting Dec 12, 2025 Holiday Gnome Roam - Cumming Nature Center
  Be Sure to Check Out our list of Driving Tour of Holiday Lights!

Crafty & Cookin' Christmas

Dec 6, 2025 Gingerbread Houses - Penfield Public Library
Dec 13, 2025 Children's Holiday Art Market - Art Center of Rochester
Dec 6 & 7, 2025 Christmas at CSM
Dec 13, 2025 Wintercraft 2025 - Flower City Arts Center

Ice Skating

Open now through April 5, 2025 Genesee Valley Sports Complex
Opens Nov 22, 2025 Open Skate season starts at Dick's House of Sport in Victor
Opens Nov 22, 2025 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Park at Manhattan Square
  Lakeshore Hockey Arena
  Paul Louis Arena
  Tim Horton's Iceplex

Chanukah

Dec 4, 2025 Park Avenue Holiday Open House
Dec 7-8, 2024 - still seeking 2025 info The Sinai Artful Hannukah Happening & Bazaar
Dec 7, 2025 Hanukkah Celebration - Roc Holiday Village
Dec 9, 2025 PJ Our Way Hanukkah Celebration - Dalit Spindel
Dec 9, 2025 PJ Our Way Hanukkah Celebration - Temple B'rith Kodesh
Dec 16, 2025 Hanukkah Party with Nate Salzman - Dalit Spindel
Dec 20, 2025 Hoppy Havdalah Hanukkah

Kwanzaa

Dec 4, 2025 CFAC Pre-Kwanzaa Celebration 2025 - Syracuse

Journey to an Old-Fashioned Christmas

Multiple dates starting Nov 28, 2025 Dickens Christmas at Skaneateles
Dec 5 & 6, 2025 Yuletide in the Country Tours & Dinner - GCV&M
Dec 7, 2024 - still seeking 2025 info Christmas Open House at Tinker Homestead
Dec 12 - 14, 2025 It's A Wonderful Life Festival - Seneca Falls

Shopping & Craft Fairs

Nov 8 & 9, 2025 Holiday Market - GCV&M
Nov 15, 2025 One Stop Holiday Shop - Walworth
Nov 14 - 16, 2025 Christkindl Market - Granger Homestead
Nov 14 - 16, 2025 Christmas in the Country - Rochester Dome Arena
Nov 15, 2025 Holiday Market at Schutt's Apple Mill
Nov 21 - 23, 2025 Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Spirit Christmas Bazaar and Food Sale
Nov 22 - 23, 2025 Holiday Bazaar - Rochester Museum & Science Center
Nov 28 & 29, 2025 Holiday Craft & Wine Marketplace
Multiple dates starting Nov 30, 2025 Holidays at The Market
Dec 6, 2025 9th Annual Holiday Open House - Upstate Vintage Market
Dec 13, 2025 Hope Hall's Holiday Woodworking Sale
Dec 13, 2025 Wintercraft 2025 - Flower City Arts Center

New Year's Eve

Dec 31, 2025 Noon Year's Eve Party - Penfield Library
Dec 31, 2025 Noon Year's Eve Party - Henrietta Public Library
Dec 31, 2025 New Year's Eve Celebration - Holiday Valley
Dec 31, 2025 Noon Year Party - Ontario Play & Cafe

 


Below are upcoming holiday events that have been posted to our calendar by local organizations. If you are affiliated with a business hosting a holiday event that should be on our calendar, we'd love to see it there... it's free to postClick here for instructions about how to add your organization to our list and easily post your events to our calendar!


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