'Tis the season in Rochester! This is KidsOutAndAbout.com's annual 101 Holiday Events list of ways to make the holidays special in our area for 2025. Activities for Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, and New Year's Eve.

Enter today to win tickets to Disney on Ice: FROZEN and ENCANTO, performing at Blue Cross Arena January 1-4, 2026. The drawing will be held Monday, December 15 for four tickets to the 4pm show on Thursday, January 1. Click to see the entry details--you'll submit an email with a special subject line.

Studio K Dance + Fitness is proud to present their 2nd annual holiday performance of "Believe". Add this energetic, family friendly, dance show to your holiday traditions this year! "Believe" is a dance performance inspired by the Christmas movie, "The Polar Express". If you love that movie, you will love our dance show FULL of entertaining dancing and story telling, catchy music, amazing props, and exciting theatrical elements! Saturday, December 6th, 2025 at 12PM and 5PM at the RIT Robert F. Panara Theatre. Tickets can be purchased at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/believe-presented-by-studio-k-dance-fitness-tickets-1849017153079.

Strong Museum Memberships make great gifts and create lasting memories! Purchase a membership between November 17 and December 1, 2025 with promo code HOLLY10 to save $10 on an annual membership. Buying a membership as a gift? Purchase a membership activation form that can be used to start a membership at a later date! All members receive museum admission for one year, six parking validations and four rides on the train or carousel, $1 discount on guest admission tickets, ropes course and butterfly garden tickets, 10% discount in the museum shop, ACM Reciprocal Network Discount of 50% off admission for up to six people at participating ACM museums, and member-only exhibit previews and discounts on select museum programs. Purchase your membership here: https://bit.ly/43YipEl

Kick off the season with Ticketmaster’s Holiday Ticket Deals, launching this Black Friday at 10 a.m.! It’s the perfect chance to snag amazing savings on upcoming events at Kodak Center and give the gift everyone loves—unforgettable experiences. From comedy and concerts to family-friendly shows, there’s something for every person on your holiday list. Skip the stress of last-minute shopping and surprise your loved ones with tickets to a night out they’ll never forget. These limited-time deals won’t last long, so mark your calendar, set your alarm, and get ready to score big on the best holiday gifts of the year!

November 26, 28, 29, and 30, 2025: Your Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and Rochester City Ballet celebrate 26 years of a holiday tradition: The Nutcracker at Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre! Be whisked away to a magical land of sparkling snow and delectable sweets as Tchaikovsky’s unforgettable score pairs with beautiful ballet. This story of a young girl’s Christmas Eve dream never fails to touch the heart! Click here for tickets.

Weekends Nov 28 - Dec 21, 2025: Another Magical Christmas Adventure awaits at Hidden Valley Animal Adventure in Varysburg! 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.

Stokoe Farms is the ultimate destination for creating cherished holiday traditions, offering the largest selection of REAL Christmas Trees in the area. Opening on November 22nd, the farm provides a magical experience for families, complete with tractor-drawn wagon rides, festive activities, a charming Country Gift Shop, and a variety of freshly cut and pre-cut trees. This year, visitors can enjoy the new Cocoa & Cookie Corner, serving deluxe hot chocolates, cider, and freshly baked cookies. Beyond trees, the farm features giant slides, a straw fort, a Live Nativity, and the popular Hillbilly Hen House Chicken Show. Unique attractions include a mob of kangaroos, a Nature Trail, and Christmas Animal Encounters, where guests can meet joeys, armadillos, and more.

The perfect way to work off Thanksgiving and show visiting relatives a great time! Public skating (often called public skate or open skate) is a relaxed, all-ages session where anyone can enjoy time on the ice—no experience required. It’s a great way to try indoor ice skating for the first time, practice your stride, or enjoy a family skate together in a comfortable, climate-controlled arena. Sessions are recreational and non-instructional, making them ideal for beginners and casual skaters. Public skate times are an hour and a half long at 11am, 1:15pm, 3:30pm, and 5:45pm.

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.

Continuing its holiday tradition, the New York Museum of Transportation, in Rush, will welcome Santa Claus on December 7, 13 and 14. He's eager to meet the kids and pose for pictures. A ride in the heated trolley, holiday decorations, complimentary cookies and hot chocolate, and the fondly remembered Midtown Plaza Monorail all add to the fun in this unique celebration of the holidays. Admission including the trolley ride is $18 adults, $14 age 3 - 14. Rides depart at 11:00, 11:45, 12:30, 1:15, 2:00, 2:45 and 3:30. Reservations are required: www.nymtmuseum.org/Christmas The New York Museum of Transportation is located just 20 minutes south of Rochester at 6393 East River Road in Rush, and can be reached from I-390 exit 11.

Thursday, Dec 4, 7pm at Kodak Center: This critically acclaimed holiday celebration that the whole family can enjoy brings Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus, and the rest of the Peanuts gang together live on stage as they uncover the true meaning of Christmas and perform songs from the unforgettable musical score of legendary composer Vince Guaraldi. The Broadway-style production complete with immersive sets, lighting, choreography, and colorful costumes has sold more than 300,000 tickets over the prior holiday seasons. Children under 2 years of age do not need a ticket to sit on an adult's lap.

The seventh annual City of Rochester Roc Holiday Village, presented by ESL Federal Credit Union, returns December 5–28 at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park with sixteen days of free holiday fun. Enjoy free ice skating and skate rentals, visits and photos with Santa, kids’ crafts, and festive holiday celebrations. Take on the I Spy Scavenger Hunt and Adventure Map, or catch special ice rink events like sled hockey, curling lessons, and figure skating performances. Warm up by the fire pits, sip hot cocoa for a cause at The Giving Cup, and soak in the lights, music, and cheer of Rochester’s favorite winter festival.

This December, CountryMax stores are spreading cheer with FREE family-friendly holiday events that support local charities and animal organizations close to our hearts. From pony rides and therapy animal meet-and-greets to craft stations and holiday treats, every event brings joy while raising donations for community partners. Find a FREE event at one of the following CountryMax Store locations. Dec. 5 at Webster benefiting Heritage Christian Stables; Dec. 6 at Baldwinsville benefiting Purpose Farm; Dec. 6 at Auburn benefiting Finger Lakes SPCA; Dec. 7 at Oswego benefiting Brayhope Farm; Dec. 13 at Brockport benefiting Pirate Toy Fund. Click for details: https://www.countrymax.com/2025-holiday-events/

Dec 12-14 and 17-23: Gates open at 6pm nightly. Christmas at RCCM is filled with light, wonder, and the true joy of the season! This year features five inspiring attractions: Miracle 4D, the thrilling motion ride; The Name, a holographic multi-sensory experience; Raffadali’s Great Adventure, an interactive family show starring Raffadali the Donkey; Star’s Yuletide Workshop, where kids create their own ornaments; and illumiNATIONS: Tapestry of Earth, a campus-wide spectacular with an original film, uplifting music, and The Living Tree, a 30,000-light centerpiece synchronized to thousands of colorful lights. Come anytime—shows run continuously and are completely free! For details or advance tickets, visit christmas.rccm.org. RCCM (Rochester Christian Church) is located at 3177 Lyell Road in Gates.

Rochester Rotary invites area children and families to have breakfast with Santa Claus on Saturday, Dec. 13. The event will be held at Rochester Rotary Sunshine Camp, located at 809 Five Points Road in Rush. The cost is $15 for adults and $10 for children over 3 years old. Children under 3 are free. Two seating times are available: at 9:30 a.m. or 11:30 a.m.

Hamilton, playing at RBTL's West Herr Auditorium Theatre Nov 18-30, 2025 is the perfect Thanksgiving family outing. It reminds us that each of us, no matter our age, has the power to build rooms where things happen. Read KidsOutAndAbout.com's review to learn how to prepare your kids to make the most of the performance.

Rochester NY's 2025 list of Christmas lights: 100+ houses: Includes Greece, Henrietta, Gates, Hamlin, Irondequoit, Pittsford, Fairport, the City of Rochester, Victor, Farmington, Penfield, Webster, Williamson, Ontario, Nunda, and more!

The Rochester area offers a delightful selection of Christmas tree farms that bring the magic of the holiday season to life. Families can enjoy the cherished tradition of selecting the perfect tree while exploring picturesque landscapes and engaging in festive activities. From charming local farms to larger operations, each location provides a unique experience, complete with hayrides, hot cocoa, and seasonal treats. Many farms also host holiday events, making it easy to create lasting memories with loved ones. Whether you’re looking for a classic fir or a unique spruce, the Christmas tree farms around Rochester promise to make your holiday celebrations truly special.

KidsOutAndAbout's list of family-friendly New Year's activities in the Rochester NY area