Free Ice Skating and Skate Rentals Open Through January 5
Save the Date: The Seventh Annual Roc Holiday Village
Opening Day is December 5, 2025
Rochester, NY—Dec. 30, 2024—The sixth annual City of Rochester Roc Holiday Village presented by Five Star Bank concluded yesterday, wrapping up 17 days of holiday festivities with free ice skating, shopping, free arcade games and Three Kings’ Day celebration at the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park.
The seventh annual event is scheduled to take place from December 5 through December 28, 2025. Specific dates and hours will be announced at a later time.
“This year’s event has been nothing short of magical, and we are grateful for the incredible response from the community,” said Jenna Knauf, Sean McCarthy, and Kelli Marsh, co-owners of Roc Holiday Village.
“We strive to create a welcoming and memorable holiday experience for everyone, and it has been an honor to see tens of thousands of people come together in downtown Rochester to celebrate the season. Thank you for allowing us to share in your holiday traditions, and we are deeply appreciative of the support from our sponsors and the Rochester community.”
Free skating, skate rentals, and skate helpers presented by Wegmans will be available beyond Roc Holiday Village’s 2024 season, running through Sunday, January 5. The schedule is: Monday, December 30, noon to 9 p.m.; Tuesday, December 31, noon to 7 p.m.; Wednesday, January 1, closed; Thursday, January 2, noon to 9 p.m.; Friday, January 3, noon to 9 p.m.; Saturday, January 4, noon to 9 p.m.; and Sunday, January 5, noon to 7 p.m. Each session lasts one and a half hours, with breaks to clean the ice.
Organizers will announce final attendance figures following the conclusion of free ice skating in the new year.
Roc Holiday Village was named one of the nation’s best holiday markets, ranking sixth, and best ice skating rink, ranking third in USA TODAY’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards.
USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards celebrate the best in attractions and businesses across the country, spotlighting destinations that readers trust and love. This annual program is designed to help travelers discover noteworthy experiences and places, with all nominations carefully selected by experts and editors to ensure credibility and quality. For more information on USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards visit: 10best.usatoday.com.
2024 Roc Holiday Village Highlights Included:
- Roc Holiday Village was open after Christmas for the first time since 2019.
- Rohrbach Brewing Co. Village Lager was available in stores for the first time, allowing fans to bring the magic of Roc Holiday Village home.
- Canned cocktails were added to the bar menus and were available for purchase from the Lodge, outdoor bar, and the bar in the Simcona Gingerbread House during Holiday Hangouts.
- Cheese & Charcuterie inside the Lodge featured a “build-your-board” bar with premium cheeses, fresh fruits, and artisan meats.
- The Exclusive Photo Experience, presented by Rochester Regional Health, offered a unique and festive backdrop for creating lasting family memories.The
- Rec Room provided free-to-play arcade games and took over Santa’s Workshop from December 26 to 29.Free ice skating and free skate rentals, presented by
- Wegmans, were available all 17 days of Roc Holiday Village’s operating hours and six additional days from December 30 to January 5 (closed New Year’s Day).
- Crafts for kids in the Simcona Gingerbread House – an indoor heated tent – were presented by Home Depot, Girl Scouts of Western NY, Scouting America, Brooklyn Robot Foundry, Compeer, Memorial Art Gallery Creative Workshop, Rochester Museum and Science Center, and Rochester Pipeline.
- Holiday celebrations in the Simcona Gingerbread House included:
- Hanukkah, presented by PJ Library and the Jewish Federation of Greater Rochester, on Sunday, December 8
- Kwanzaa, presented by the Rochester Kwanzaa Coalition, on Sunday, December 15
- Christmas, presented by the First Bible Baptist Church, on Sunday, December 22
- Three Kings’ Day, presented by the Puerto Rican Festival, on Sunday, December 29
- Live music was featured on The Buffalo News stage inside the Lodge on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and select Sundays.Arcade games inside the Lodge
- were free to play.Explore the Village activities, including the I Spy Scavenger Hunt, Adventure Map, and Photo Quest, were free and sponsored by Visit
- Rochester.
- The Rochester Area Community Foundation & Triple-O Lodge provided an indoor heated tent with cozy lounge seating, communal tables, and a bar serving wine, beer, hard cider, hard seltzer, mulled wine, sparkling wine, and soft drinks. A rotation of local charities hosted The Giving Cup hot cocoa bar daily, with proceeds and gratuity going directly to each day’s participating nonprofit.
- Lighting of the Liberty Pole and Parade kicked off the holiday festivities.
- 21 local nonprofit charities participated in The Giving Cup – Hot Cocoa for a Cause.
- Guests could shop, eat, and drink from 26 retail vendors each week, featuring a total of 50 regional businesses throughout the 17-day event. The complete list of retailers was posted online at rocholidayvillage.com.
- Roc Holiday Village official merchandise, one-of-a-kind keepsakes, and collector items were available for purchase.
- Outdoor seating, sponsored by the YMCA, and an outdoor bar returned, allowing guests to gather and warm up around fire pits with their beverage of choice.
- Frosty’s Food Court hosted a rotation of food trucks outside on Court Street, with outdoor picnic table seating.
- Special tasting events took place in the Rochester Area Community Foundation & Triple-O Lodge bar.
- The Simcona Gingerbread House hosted evening holiday festivities, including free trivia, paint-and-sip nights, and screenings of A Christmas Story and Elf. A full bar was available during events. Paint-and-sip tickets were sold out.
- The Winter Wonderland 5K Run was organized in partnership with Wolfpack Multisport.
- A Sled Hockey Demonstration, presented by the Rochester Sled Hawks
- Curling Demonstration, presented by the Rochester Curling Club
- Two free Silent Disco events were held on the ice rink
- The Thomas Creek Figure Skating Club performed followed by a free open clinic to learn to skate
- The Genesee Figure Skating Club performed on followed by a free open clinic to learn to skate
- Santa’s Workshop – an indoor heated tent – featured free visits and photos with Santa, free cookies courtesy of Wegmans, and Santa Text Express, which allowed guests to provide their name and number to receive a text when it was their turn with Santa.
- The Farewell Santa Parade with Prime Time Brass Band performed around The Village and paraded with Santa before he returned to the North Pole.
- Two Mini Maker Markets were held in the Simcona Gingerbread House hosting nearly 30 different artisans, crafters, designers, DIYers, and confectioneries
Photo: Roc Holiday Village December 2024 by Alex Ramos for Roc Holiday Village.
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About Roc Holiday Village
Roc Holiday Village is Rochester, New York’s favorite, magical winter festival delighting people of all ages. Roc Holiday Village 2024 is celebrating its sixth season from December 6 to 29 and presented 17 days of enchanting festivities. The annual downtown festival features outdoor seating and fire pits, free ice skating and skate rentals, a unique shopping village, indoor and outdoor bars with tasty food and drinks, free visits with Santa, hand-crafted goods, cozy winter igloos, free crafts for kids, holiday celebrations, live music, private events, nightlife and more. 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, owner of McCarthy Tents & Events. Roc Holiday Village 2023 drew more than 185,000 people of all ages to the heart of downtown Rochester at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Memorial Park. Roc Holiday Village was recently named one of the nation’s best holiday markets, ranking sixth, and best ice skating rinks, ranking third, in USA TODAY’s 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards.