BeyondTheNest.com: Weekly e-newsletter for Rochester | |
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Save the Date
Sat, Nov 15: Champions of Magic: Holiday
Spectacular at Kodak Center
Sat, Nov 15: Maker Faire Rochester 2025 at RIT Gordon Field House
Sat, Nov 15: Rochester Hearing & Speech Center's Ultimate 80s Party!
Sun, Nov 16: Sound, Sip, & Savor at fivebyfive
Sun, Nov 16: Haudenosaunee Heritage Celebration Day 2025 at Memorial Art Gallery
Tue, Nov 18: Hamilton at Rochester Broadway Theatre League (RBTL) - West Herr Auditorium Theatre
Sat, Nov 22: A Christmas Carol opens at Geva Theatre and runs through Dec 28
Sun, Nov 23: Holiday Alternative Gift Market at Greece Baptist Church |
Note from your publisher This weekend is packed with incredible ways to get out and about! If you haven’t yet seen STILL at JCC Centerstage, now’s your last chance—it wraps up its run Sunday, and we loved sharing Carol's review of the play last week. You’ll also find a
creative mix of events to enjoy: from the innovation-packed Rochester Maker Faire and Monet’s birthday celebration at MAG to live jazz downtown, medieval music, and a joyful, inclusive performance of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. And while holiday festivities are just around the corner—like A Christmas Carol, The Nutcracker, Roc Holiday Village, and handmade markets—this weekend has plenty to savor on its own. You'll notice that this edition of Beyond the Nest has a strong nature theme—because now is the perfect time to rediscover the outdoors. The leaves may be mostly down and snow hasn’t yet settled in, which makes this short window a unique moment
to experience the transition between fall and winter. There’s something especially grounding about a walk through bare trees and brisk air, where the landscape feels quiet, raw, and reflective. Bundle up, tread carefully on the leaf-covered trails, and notice how different the world feels compared to summer’s lush green or autumn’s golden blaze. To help you reconnect with the natural world, we’ve included a bunch of ideas from local nature centers and parks below the upcoming events. Take
advantage of this fleeting seasonal shift—before the snow arrives in earnest! —Debra Ross, publisher
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Beyond the Nest Reviews STILL at the JCC Centerstage: In this poignant and provocative new play, Director Alexa Scott-Flaherty and actors Rick and Tiffany Staropoli bring to life the timeless questions that many struggle with right now: What happens when you care about someone deeply but despise what they believe? Can genuine conversation and empathy ever bridge such a divide? Don't miss Still onstage at the Louis S. Wolk JCC Centerstage through November 16, 2025.
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2025 marks the TWELFTH anniversary of Maker Faire Rochester! Saturday, November 15, 2025 at the Gordon Field House at RIT, you're invited to the Greatest Show (and Tell) on Earth! Featuring both established and emerging local “makers,” Maker Faire Rochester is a family-friendly celebration featuring rockets and robots, digital fabrication, DIY science and technology, urban farming and sustainability, alternative energy, bicycles, unique hand-made crafts, music and local food, and…
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Sunday, November 16, 12:00 pm–4:00 pm: Free event! Join us for Haudenosaunee Heritage Celebration Day, in collaboration with Friends of Ganondagan Program Director Jeanette Jemison (Mohawk, Snipe Clan)! Enjoy free museum admission, live dances and demonstrations with the Allegany River Seneca Dancers led by Bill Crouse (Seneca, Hawk Clan), storytelling with Ronnie Reitter (Seneca, Wolf Clan), display tables, history, culture, celebration, and more.
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Saturday, Novembe 15: Enjoy an unforgettable evening of smooth tunes and fine wine at Flight Wine Bar Downtown! Join us on Saturday, November 15 from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM for Live Jazz featuring the incredible Bob Sneider & Christine Jensen. Sip your favorite wines while soaking in the sounds of two of Rochester’s most beloved jazz artists—it's the perfect Saturday night pairing! Space fills quickly, so reservations are strongly encouraged. Call 585-360-4180 to save your spot. Flight Wine…
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November 14 / 15: Experience the Magic of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” with Artists Unlimited! Step into a world of music, color, and inspiration as Artists Unlimited presents Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at the Greece Performing Arts Center. This vibrant, joy-filled production features talented performers with and without disabilities, coming together to celebrate the power of inclusion, community, and song. With its unforgettable score by Andrew Lloyd…
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Fri - Nov 14, 2025 - 7:30pm at the First Universalist Church of Rochester, Arts Connexions presents Alicia Esmeralda Barry, mezzo-soprano, and Stephanie Paredes, storyteller. Hear the music, poetry, and spoken word of Mesoamerica. Tickets are $30 general admission, $25 students and seniors.
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Join Main Street Mercantile for our Holiday Housewarming Party, Nov. 13, 14, 15 and 16. Come take a stroll through Main Street Mercantile in Fairport, NY. Savor the sounds and smells of the season, with specials throughout the store and a chance to win a fabulous gift basket. Find that perfect gift, or decorate your favorite room with our variety of unique finds for the season ahead. Bring a friend and discover how special the season can be.
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Step into a storybook world with your Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra! This Sunday matinee performance at Eastman Theatre brings the enchanting music of Sleeping Beauty to life in a concert perfect for families and music lovers of all ages.
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Scivias Medieval Ensemble, a Women’s Choir led by Heather Holmquest, will present a concert entitled - Liturgy, Songs, and Carols for the Feast of St. Nicholas. Learn about the origin story of jolly old St. Nicholas through medieval songs, devotionals, carols, and short stories from before he got his red suit and sleigh.
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Join the fun and light up this holiday season! When you make a $30 gift, you’ll receive a Tour Kit for The Child Advocacy Center of Greater Rochester’s RG&E Holiday Lights Tour. Not only will you enjoy some of the brightest, most festive homes in the Greater Rochester area, but you’ll also be supporting the children and families the CAC serves every day. Each Tour Kit includes your tour map, festive activities, and—new this year—an activity book for the whole family to enjoy! Be sure to…
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Come celebrate the 53rdd Annual Holiday Bazaar Arts & Crafts Sale! The Holiday Bazaar is a juried show with five floors of displays across the RMSC campus. A spectacular variety is available with more than 150 exhibitors showcasing creative fine arts and unique crafts: ceramics, jewelry, glass, woodwork, paintings, photography, fiber arts, floral crafts, and more!
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Head to the Harley School on Clover Street in Brighton on Saturday, November 22, from 10 am to 3 pm, to browse and buy unique gifts from talented local artists and crafters. We're featuring a selection of handmade treasures—perfect for finding thoughtful, one-of-a-kind presents for everyone on your list. Support local, shop small, and kick off the holiday season with us! Plenty of free parking! Event Details: What: Harley Homemade Holiday Market; When: Saturday, November 22nd, 10 am-3…
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November 22 - December 27, 2025: A Tale of Hope, Humor, and Heart. Rochester’s favorite holiday tradition returns with an adaptation of Charles Dickens’ classic story that begins with a wish made by young Tim Cratchit. Over the course of one night, notorious grump Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by four ghosts. But will their intervention prompt him to change his “humbug” ways? A Christmas Carol reminds us that it is never too late to have a change of heart. Geva welcomes patrons ages 5 and…
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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.
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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,…
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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,…
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'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.
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Get up close with nature at our 900-acre preserve. Explore 15 miles of hiking and ski trails, a Visitor Center, and year-round events.
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Burroughs Audubon Nature Club is a local nature club with 30 acres of trails on the border of Pittsford and Victor.
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Only 25 minutes from downtown Rochester, spark your curiosity at Genesee Country Village & Museum - New York State's largest living history museum! Explore our 19th-century Historic Village, our John L. Wehle Gallery, and our Nature Center with 5+ miles
of nature trails. Explore special events, daily historic happenings, kids camps, workshops, and more at www.gcv.org.
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The Sterling Nature Center is located on the shore of Lake Ontario providing 1,428 acres of diverse habitat with opportunities to experience and learn about nature through a variety of guided and unguided activities and programs. Explore our ten miles of
hiking trails open dawn to dusk every day of…
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Braddock Bay Bird Observatory is dedicated to ornithological research, education and conservation. Each year, we band and release thousands of songbirds in an effort to document and understand how they behave during migration. We welcome guests every day
that we are open.
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The Montezuma Audubon Center (MAC), located in Savannah, NY, is a state-owned facility operated through a cooperative agreement between the New York State DEC and the National Audubon Society. The MAC houses a large exhibit area, classroom, nature store,
office area, auditorium, and a meeting room.
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Tinker Nature Park is a 68-acre, ADA-compliant park. It features a 1.2 mile walking/exercise trail, a 1/2 mile nature trail, a wildflower meadow, snake hibernaculum, wildlife observation blind, indoor observation beehive. The Park also features a pond for
fishing (bass season only), a playground and…
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Seneca Park Zoo inspires our community to connect, care for, and conserve wildlife and wild places. Situated on 15.5 acres along the Genesee River, the Zoo is a gem among Greater Rochester's family attractions.
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Wishing you and yours good health and happiness! |
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