Master Guide to Holiday Fun in Greater Rochester, NY

KidsOutAndAbout.com compiles a comprehensive list of holiday family activities in our area each year, organized under various categories. These categories include Santa Sightings, Light Displays, Living Nativities, Holiday Theatre, Holiday Concerts, Christmas Tree Experiences, Ice Skating, Hanukkah celebrations, Shopping & Craft Fairs, New Year's Eve events, and more. The list features both traditional holiday experiences like visiting Santa and viewing light displays, as well as unique local offerings. It's our mission to make it easy to plan your holiday schedule out and about; you'll be amazed at the wide variety of activities on the list!

The George Eastman Museum is delighted to invite visitors to its enchanting 2025 holiday season events. Known for creating memorable experiences, the museum’s seasonal lineup includes the beloved Sweet Creations Gingerbread Display, holiday wreaths, festive tabletop trees, decorative mantels, and so much more. Sweet Creations returns with more than 50 uniquely decorated gingerbread creations; the exhibit will be available for viewing through January 4 and you can take one home for next season if you're the highest bidder in the online silent auction. To manage visitor flow, advance ticket purchases are recommended and can be made at eastman.org/tickets. (Sponsored by The Summit Federal Credit Union with additional support from Tops Friendly Markets.)

For a full list of holiday screenings and ticket details, visit eastman.org/dryden.

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 8 & 9); Yuletide in the Country Theatrical Tours and Dinners (December 5, 6, 12, 13, 14, 19, & 20); Holiday Open House and Breakfast with St. Nick December 7 and 21... 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 events at the Museum.

Christmas 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! Plus 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.

Another Magical Christmas Adventure awaits at Hidden Valley Animal Adventure! The Lodge, in full holiday splendor, will host Santa’s Wonderland where you’ll decorate cookies, write letters to the North Pole, take holiday photos, and more before boarding your trolley for a journey through Hidden Valley’s Mystical Forest. There you’ll see herds of bison and elk, Randy the camel, llamas, and blackbelly sheep roaming the wintery terrain. Upon your return, pet and feed a variety of live animals in open-air stalls. Four consecutive weekends starting Black Friday, November 28 – December 21, 9am-4:30pm. Reservations Required. Book online at hiddenvalleyadventure.com. Allow 3 hours for the full experience.

Light up the holiday season at The Child Advocacy Center of Greater Rochester RG&E Holiday Lights Tour. Make a gift of $30 and receive a Tour Kit full of Holiday treats & goodies, fun and festive activity book and of course a digital map of some of the most festively decorate home in the Greater Rochester area. Gather your family and friends, hop in a car, and make lasting memories as you explore the twinkling lights! Take the tour as often as you like from December 6th to New Years Day!

Experience the magic of the holidays at Stokoe Farms! Begin your tradition with a wagon ride to cut your own meticulously hand-trimmed Fraser, Douglas, or Concolor Fir tree. For just $68, any size or variety includes shaking, baling, fresh cutting, and drilling for a pin stand. While you're here, enjoy free family activities, including a Live Nativity, Straw Fort, Giant Slides, Bonfires, and the whimsical Hillbilly Hen Chicken Show. Admission is free!

You can also choose to enhance your visit with private animal encounters at The Roo Ranch—hold a kangaroo or meet exotic animals. Weekends and Black Friday starting the weekend before Thanksgiving and continuing through mid-December.

Do you cut your own Christmas tree? Here's our big list of farms where you can cut your own Christmas tree in Rochester.

Kwanzaa is celebrated December 26-January 1 each year.