ROCHESTER, N.Y.—January 14, 2026—The seventh annual City of Rochester Roc Holiday Village presented by ESL wrapped up a record-breaking 2025 season after welcoming more than 200,000 visitors to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park.
The free, family friendly festival was open for 16 days from Dec. 5 to Dec. 28, 2025, and featured free ice skating and skate rentals, a curated shopping village, free visits with Santa, outdoor seating and fire pits, indoor and outdoor bars, local food and drinks, cozy winter igloos, hand crafted goods, free crafts for kids, cultural celebrations, live music, private events and more.
“We’re so grateful for the enthusiasm and support that embraced us this season,” said Jenna Knauf, Kelli Marsh and Sean McCarthy, co-owners of Roc Holiday Village. “As the park transformed into a twinkling winter gathering place filled with lights, music and thousands of visitors, it became clear that the magic of Roc Holiday Village is the people and their generous spirit. The sponsors, partners, vendors, visitors, dedicated staff and volunteers make this winter tradition merry and bright each year.”
Roc Holiday Village earned multiple national honors in 2025. USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards named the Roc Holiday Village Ice Rink one of the Best Ice Skating Rinks in the country and Roc Holiday Village one of the Best Holiday Markets nationwide. Additional recognition included 4th place in Newsweek’s Best Christmas Market Readers’ Choice Awards and 2nd place in TZR’s Best U.S. Christmas Markets.
Organizers are planning the eighth annual festival for December 2026, with dates and additional details to be announced.
Vendor applications for the Shopping Village and Mini Maker Markets will open in May, with full event details for the 2026 season to be revealed in the fall.
2025 Roc Holiday Village Festival Highlights:
- Free ice skating, presented by Wegmans, was offered for 21 days on the outdoor MLK Ice Rink operated by the City of Rochester, with free skate rentals and skate helpers, including extended skating days through school winter break
- The Shopping Village, presented by OneDigital, featured a rotating lineup of more than 40 regional retail vendors throughout the season, with vendors reporting strong and in some cases record sales
- Santa’s Workshop was open for 13 days, offering free visits with Santa, plus 6,000 free Wegmans cookies handed out, 3,900 Santa photos taken, over 700 letters mailed to Santa received a personal reply, Black Santa made multiple appearances and Camp Good Days raised over $2,500 from toy instrument sales
- The Igloo Village, presented by The Rochester Area Community Foundation, returned with reservable Igloo Inns and Cozy Winter Igloos for private group experiences, with all Cozy Winter Igloos selling out in a day
- The Giving Cup, presented by Tim Hortons, raised more than $25,500 for 20 local nonprofit organizations
- Free crafts for kids were offered for 14 days in the Gingerbread House and hosted by Brooklyn Robot Foundry, Central Rock Gym, City of Rochester, Goldfish Swim School, Home Depot, MAG Creative Workshop, Medline, Rochester Public Library and Scouting America
- Two Mini Maker Markets featured 23 unique local artisans and small businesses showcasing handmade goods, food products, art and specialty items inside the Gingerbread House
- Holiday Celebrations included four cultural events held inside the Gingerbread House, including Hanukkah hosted by the Jewish Federation of Greater Rochester, Kwanzaa hosted by the Rochester Kwanzaa Coalition, Christmas hosted by First Bible Baptist Church, and Three Kings’ Day hosted by the Puerto Rican Festival
- The City of Rochester Liberty Pole Lighting and Parade during the first weekend of Roc Holiday Village and led to Roc Holiday Village as part of the City’s annual holiday tradition
- Free live music took place on the Simcona Stage inside the Triple-O Lodge with 22 live performances, including two nights of band karaoke.
- Ice Rink Activities featured eight free special events, from sled hockey with the Rochester Sled Hawks presented by Accessible Adventures and curling with the Rochester Curling Club to figure skating performances and learn to skate clinics with the Thomas Creek Figure Skating Club and the Genesee Figure Skating Club, plus two silent discos presented by Dick’s House of Sport
- The 2nd annual Winter Wonderland 5K Run returned in partnership with Wolfpack Multisport and welcomed over 240 runners to downtown Rochester
- Ticketed special events included sold-out Story Time with Santa, Story Time with Anna and Elsa presented by the Democrat & Chronicle, sold-out paint and sip nights, free trivia nights and a sold-out Holiday Floral Class
- Free arcade games were available inside the Triple-O Lodge throughout the season, with Santa’s Workshop transformed into The Rec Room inside the Gingerbread House from Dec. 26 to Dec. 28, offering more than 10 free arcade games during the final three days of the festival
- Explore the Village, presented by Visit Rochester, activities, including the I Spy Scavenger Hunt, Adventure Map and Photo Quest, were offered free for all ages throughout the season
- Frosty’s Food Court, presented by The Buffalo News, featured a rotating lineup of 18 different food trucks on Court Street with outdoor picnic table seating
- Rohrbach Brewing Company’s Village Lager returned for the season and was available inside the Village and at select retail locations
- Food and drink offerings, including the Triple-O Lodge bar serving wine, beer, hard cider, mulled wine, sparkling wine and nonalcoholic beverages, Cheese and Charcuterie’s mobile charcuterie bar, free bar tastings and food vendors located in the outdoor Shopping Village
- Outdoor seating and fire pits were available throughout the Village, presented by the YMCA of Greater Rochester
- Private events and group happy hours were hosted inside the Triple-O Lodge throughout the season
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About Roc Holiday Village
Roc Holiday Village is an annual winter festival in Rochester, New York, located in the heart of downtown. The 2025 season marked the event’s seventh year, running from Dec. 5 to 28 with 16 days of holiday festivities at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park. The free, family-friendly festival features visits with Santa, ice skating and skate rentals, a curated shopping village, outdoor seating and fire pits, indoor and outdoor bars, local food and drinks, cozy winter igloos, crafts for kids, cultural celebrations, live music, private events, and more. In 2025, the festival welcomed more than 200,000 visitors. The event has earned national recognition, including being named a 2025 national winner for Best Holiday Market and Best Ice Skating Rink in USA TODAY’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards, along with additional honors from Newsweek’s Best Christmas Market 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards and TZR’s Best U.S. Christmas Markets. Roc Holiday Village is owned and produced by Rochester natives Jenna Manetta-Knauf, owner of Bella Events Group; Kelli Marsh, owner of Kelli Marsh Photography; and Sean McCarthy.