City of Rochester
News Release
(Thursday, December 4, 2014) – Mayor Warren is enlisting the help of the Jolly Old Elf himself to help get Rochester ready for the holidays this year. The Mayor and Santa Claus will appear together at three holiday events in three days from Thursday to Saturday. Santa will also be at the Rochester Public Market Sunday morning for Holidays at the Market, and the Rochester Oratorio Society will continue the festivities Sunday evening with a free concert.
“I am extremely grateful that Santa Claus could find the time to visit our city at such a busy time of the year for him and his team in the North Pole,” said Mayor Warren. “He obviously knows Rochester has lots of good boys and girls and is the place to be during the holiday season.”
The Mayor will partner with Santa at the following events:
- 5 p.m. tonight, Thursday, December 4 on Park Avenue at Barrington Street: The Mayor and Santa will help kickoff the 21st Annual Park Avenue Holiday Open House. The event will begin with the lighting of a Menorah and holiday tree at the Park Avenue Green.
- 11 a.m. Friday December 5 in City Hall: Join Mayor Warren as she and Santa Claus light the tree in the beautiful City Hall Atrium. Choirs from the Rochester City School District’s George Mather Forbes School No. 4 and the School of the Arts will perform. New this year, Mayor Warren has set up a gift box below the tree to accept donations for Books and Bears, a collaboration among the Mayor’s Office, local churches and the Rochester Police Department. Children’s books and stuffed animals donated in their original packaging will be distributed to police officers, who will then give them to children whom they encounter at crime scenes and other traumatic events.
- 4:30 p.m. Saturday December 6 at the Liberty Pole Plaza, corner of East Main and Franklin Streets: Light up the Holidays at the Liberty Pole Lighting and Family Fun Day. Musical performers Vocal Point, the YellowJackets and Prime Time Brass will join Mayor Warren and Santa Claus for a time-tested family-friendly tradition unique to Rochester as they flip the switch on the 10,000 lights of the Liberty Pole. Costumed characters and Santa and Mrs. Claus will be available to take photos with families. Parking is free at the East End Garage, 475 E. Main St., and the Washington Square Garage, 111 Woodbury Blvd. from 3 to 8:30 p.m.
- The Liberty Pole Lighting will be followed by the annual Holiday Parade, which steps off from the Liberty Pole at 5:15 p.m. Children, parents and well-wishers will follow Mayor Warren, Santa, Mrs. Claus, Rudolph and other costumed characters along with the Rochester Fire Department’s hook and ladder fire truck to the music of Prime Time Brass in a procession from the Liberty Pole to the ice rink at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Park. (MLK Park) Participants may choose to catch a ride on an ole’ time trolley to the rink.
- Once at the rink at 5:30 p.m. Parade-goers will be greeted with ground fireworks at the ice rink, next to a fully-decorated 30-foot holiday tree. Free open skate to holiday music will be provided by Beal’s Rock and Roll Review. (Bring your own skates if possible. Limited skate rental for $3 per person.)
- Refreshments and food will be available for purchase. Families can take a free horse-drawn wagon rides around the park. To warm up, the MLK Park Lodge will be open and feature free crafts and Rec-on-the-Move activities. Free trolley rides may be taken back to nearby parking garages from the rink until 8:30 p.m.
- 9 a.m. Sunday, December 7 at the Rochester Public Market, 280 N. Union Street: Holidays at the Market. The Rochester Public Market will be filled with holiday spirit during the second Sunday of the 18th annual Holidays at the Market series. From 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. an array of holiday-oriented goods and gifts will be available, including trees and wreaths, decorations, specialty foods, local wine, cozy winter clothing, toys, and much more. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. children can visit with Santa and the whole family can take a horse-drawn carriage ride around the Market grounds. Free cookie decorating and coloring stations will also be available for children and their families. Holidays at the Market will return December 14 and include the ever popular World’s Greatest Holiday Cookie Contest.
- 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7 at the Sibley Building Atrium, 228 E. Main Street: While Santa and Mayor Warren won’t be available on Sunday, the holiday spirit will continue at A City Sings for the Season. The Rochester Oratorio Society will present a free concert to benefit the Rochester Area Interfaith Hospitality Network featuring Spiritus Christi Gospel Choir, Hochstein Youth Singers, Strings for Success, Resonanz Vocal Ensemble, and special guest Bess Phillips, soprano. Donations of food and personal care items gratefully accepted at the door. To learn more, visit www.ROSsings.org. The concert is sponsored by the Rochester Oratorio Society, the Baptist Temple and WINNCompanies with production assistance from the City of Rochester.
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News Media: For More information, contact Press Officer Jessica Alaimo at 428-7135.