Master Guide to Holiday Fun in Greater Rochester, NY
The Rochester, NY area finds endless ways to fill Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, and New Year's with fun!
© 2022, KidsOutAndAbout.com
101 Ideas for Holiday Family Fun
Rochester has tons of events for families!Here is a list of 101 things to do for the Holidays in Rochester: Santa Sightings, Christmas Community Events, Nutcrackers, holiday concerts, holiday theatre, living nativities, Christmas trees, holiday lights, shopping and craft fairs, ice skating, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, and New Year's Eve.
100-House Driving Tour of Holiday Light Displays in Greater Rochester
Christmas lights, and lots more!So many families have the tradition of hopping in the car and going to see the lights in neighborhoods around our area. Check out KidsOutAndAbout's big list of holiday light displays... as reported by readers.
Sweet Creations at the George Eastman Museum
Saturday, November 13, 2022–Sunday, January 2, 2023Dozens of cleverly designed and deliciously decorated gingerbread houses fill the mansion. This beloved holiday tradition provides a visual and aromatic treat for visitors of all ages. All of the gingerbread creations are available in an online silent auction. Free to members; included with museum admission.
Sponsored by Tops.
Holiday Happenings at Genesee Country Village
There are so many ways to include Genesee Country Village & Museum in Mumford, NY, in your family's traditions this holiday season! With festive special events like our Holiday Market & Preparing for Winter (November 19 & 20), Yuletide in the Country Theatrical Tours and Dinners (select Fridays and Saturdays in December), Holiday Open House and Breakfast with Santa (select Sundays in December), plus holiday cookies and shopping in the Flint Hill Store, GCV&M can help you plan ahead for a season of winter wonder. Explore all upcoming holiday happenings at the Museum.
Bill Gray's Regional Iceplex
Rochester's #1 Ice Skating DestinationJoin us this holiday season for Open Skate! Lace up the skates and see for yourself why ice skating at the Iceplex is one of Rochester’s favorite activities for people of all ages. Whether you are with friends, with family, on a date or just out for some exercise, ice skating is a great activity for all occasions. Throughout the season, we have multiple sessions hosted weekly and during winter recess we’ll have sessions every day! Make sure to purchase your tickets in advance, as sessions will sell out.
Bivona Child Advocacy Center brings you the 2022 Holiday Lights Tour of Rochester
A fundraiser from Bivona Child Advocacy CenterBivona Child Advocacy Center has again partnered with some of the brightest and most festively decorated homes in our area to bring you a fun, socially distant and family centered event! Bivona's Holiday Lights Tour is a great way to celebrate the holiday magic while supporting children in our community. Take the tour as often as you’d like between December 10-25, 2022! Grab your Sleigh Box and embark on a holiday adventure with family or friends from the comfort of your own car. Sleigh box includes: Map to designated homes & neighborhoods; holiday treats & goodies; fun & festive activities for the family. Sleigh boxes are $50 and are ideal for a family of four. Limited quantities are available. Purchase yours by Dec 8th and then drive through on Dec 10 to pick up your box (and say hello at Santa and Mrs. Claus)!
Roc Holiday Village
Wednesdays to Sundays December 2 – December 23, 2022Roc Holiday Village is Rochester, New York’s favorite winter festival! Delighting people of all ages, Roc Holiday Village 2022 presents 17 days of enchanting festivities on varying dates from December 2 to December 23. The magical downtown festival features outdoor seating and fire pits, free ice skating and skate rentals, a unique shopping village, and indoor bar with tasty food and drinks, free visits with Santa, tree lighting, hand-crafted goods, cozy winter igloos, free crafts for kids, holiday celebrations, live music, private events, nightlife and more.
There's fun for everyone at the Holiday Village! www.rocholidayvillage.com
Holly Trolley Rides at the New York Museum of Transportation
Sundays December 11 & 18Santa's leaving the reindeer at home and will be arriving by trolley at the New York Museum of Transportation this year, and he's bringing Mrs. Claus too! Families will want to visit with Santa and Mrs. C, enjoy holiday decorations and complimentary cookies and hot chocolate, and take a 2-mile round trip ride on the museum's authentic vintage trolley car. The only trolley railroad in New York State, a museum decorated for the holidays, full of trolley cars, a steam locomotive, fire engine, model railroad....and Santa Claus too! $15 adults, $12 age 2 - 12. Rides depart at 11:00, 11:45, 12:30, 115, 2:00 and 2:45. Reservations required: http://nymtmuseum.org/christmas/
Christmas at RCCM December 16-23, 2022
Gates open at 6pm nightly. Register for your free ticket nowChristmas at RCCM is truly a magical place…. It’s a place filled with wonder, excitement, and Christmas cheer! Christmas at RCCM consists of 4 major attractions: Miracle, the thrilling and inspiring 4D motion ride; The Name, our brand new and incredible "spoken word”, multi-sensory experience; Raffadali's Great Adventure, our exciting and interactive family show starring Raffadali the donkey; Star’s Yuletide Workshop where cast members assist kids in making their very own Star-themed ornament! And all-new for the 2022 season, don’t miss RCCM’s Musical Light Show Spectacular! Tens of thousands of color-changing lights animated all across the RCCM campus will leave you in awe! All FREE! Each show is about 20 minutes in duration, and each runs continuously from 6-9pm each night.
For more information and to reserve advance tickets, visit RCCM.org or call 585-247-4444. RCCM is located at 3177 Lyell Rd in Gates.
Christmas Tree Farms
Do you cut your own Christmas tree? Here's our big list of farms where you can cut your own Christmas tree in Rochester.
Subscriptions Boxes: Gifts That Keep on Giving
Send thoughtful choices to the ones you love near and far, and plan some excellent expected surprises for your own family in the months to come. KidsOutAndAbout has put together of some of our favorite choices with a range for all different ages and interests.
FREE Holiday Events
You think you can't get anything free anymore? Nonsense! Here are a bunch of free holiday events (listed day by day) coming up in our area.
Chanukah
Hanukkah begins in the evening of December 18, 2022 and ends December 26, 2022.
Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa is celebrated December 26-January 1 each year.
Lightbulb Day
Lightbulb Day is celebrated on the Winter Solstice, on or about December 21.
Holiday concerts and performances
There are lots of special concerts and shows... and some of them are free! Click here for the entire Holiday Performance list.
