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Media Advisory

December 21, 2022

MEDIA CONTACT

Amanda Antinore

Dalmath Associates

(585) 729-7533

Due to the Forecasted Dangerous Weather Conditions Coming This Way, Roc Holiday Village Will Be Closed Friday, December 23

All Events on Schedule for Today, Wednesday, December 21 and Thursday, December 22

Photo by Tomas Flint for Roc Holiday Village 2022

Rochester, NY—December 21, 2022—Due to the forecasted dangerous weather conditions coming this way, Roc Holiday Village will be closed Friday, December 23. 

"Today and Thursday will be the final two days of this year’s festivities so please come down today and tomorrow to enjoy all the fun activities of the festival as we close our fourth annual holiday event," said co-owners Jenna Knauf, Kelli Marsh and Sean McCarthy.

"While we are disappointed to close a day early, patron, vendor and staff safety are our primary concerns. We have been closely watching the weather forecast for Friday and consulting with our media partner 13WHAM, and meteorologist Scott Hetsko. The national storm moving this way now calls for extremely cold temperatures, and high winds in Rochester making the conditions too dangerous for people to visit and work at Roc Holiday Village this Friday."

"Since we and our vendors need to make arrangements at least 24 hours or more in advance for staffing and supplies, we need to make this decision now so we can all plan."

"We look forward to seeing you these last two days to do your holiday shopping, enjoy skating and Santa’s workshop, and eat, drink and be merry!"

Cozy Winter Igloo and Igloo Inn reservations for Friday will be refunded. Roc Holiday Village staff are personally notifying all igloo reservation customers.

Santa’s Farewell Parade is rescheduled for Thursday, December 22 at 8 p.m. 

All activities for Thursday, December 22 are on as scheduled.

Free outdoor ice skating and skate rentals will remain open on Friday weather permitting and pending safe conditions. To inquire about the rink's status, call (585) 428-7541.

All events are on schedule for today, Wednesday, December 21. The fourth annual City of Rochester Roc Holiday Village presented by Five Star Bank will open today from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Special events today include BeerPass ROC pop-up, Empire Merchants North wine tasting, and Band Karaoke with Up2Somethin'.

Visitors can enjoy free events through December 22 including free ice skating and skate rentals, free visits and photos with Santa, a shopping village, private Cozy Winter Igloos (sold out), free ice rink events and activities, free live music, holiday celebrations, free crafts for kids, indoor and open-air bars, fire pits, food trucks, outdoor seating, and more.

WHERE

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Park

35 Court St. Rochester, NY 14604

WHEN

Wednesday, December 21 and wraps up on Thursday, December 22.

Photo by Tomas Flint for Roc Holiday Village 2022

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21 SCHEDULE:

• 4 to 10 p.m. – Free Ice Skating and Skate Rentals presented by Wegmans
• 4 to 8 p.m. – Visit Santa Claus in Santa's Workshop presented by WellCare by Fidelis
• 4 to 8 p.m. – Free Crafts for Kids inside the T-Mobile Gingerbread House presented by the Boy Scouts of America Seneca Waterways Council
• 4 to 9 p.m. – Shopping Village presented by Visit Rochester
• 4 to 10 p.m. – Frosty's Food Court (MeltTruckROC, Rob’s Al Dente, Rob’s Kabobs, Wraps on Wheels food trucks on Court St.)
• 4 to 10 p.m. – Triple-O Lodge Bar (drinks, free games, live music)
• 5 to 7 p.m. – BeerPass ROC pop-up
• 7 to 9 p.m. – Empire Merchants North wine tasting
• 7 to 9:30 p.m. – Band Karaoke with Up2Somethin'

• NEW! Milo The Bat Dog Visit and Toy Drive – Rochester Red Wings' Milo The Bat Dog visits on Thursday, December 22 from 6 to 7 p.m. in the tent adjacent to the outdoor ice rink at MLK Park. Meet and greet Milo with a donation of a new and unwrapped toy for the Pirate Toy Fund annual toy drive.
• “Frosty’s Food Court” will take over Court St., which will be closed to traffic during operating hours. All food will be located outside on the street and in the Village Shopping.
• Hot cocoa and coffee bar will be available inside The Triple-O Lodge where guests can purchase specialty hot and cold beverages.
• Santa’s Workshop is back for the first time since 2019 featuring free visits and photos with Santa, free cookies courtesy of Wegmans, Santa Text Express, which means shorter wait times. When guests arrive, they can provide their name and number and will receive a text when it’s their turn with Santa. Santa's Workshop is sponsored by Wellcare by Fidelis Care.
• Outdoor seating is back with the addition of an outdoor bar. Guests can meet up and warm up with friends around the fire pits with a blanket and their beverages of choice. Outdoor seating is sponsored by the YMCA of Greater Rochester.
• Explore the Village is an all-new fun and festive way to discover the magic of Roc Holiday Village and enjoy winter’s festivities! Exploring activities are free and include a Scavenger Hunt, Adventure Map and Photo Quest. Activities are available to pick up from Santa's Gift Shoppe merchandise booth in the Shopping Village. Sponsored by GreenSpark Solar.
• Special events in the Triple-O Lodge bar include BeerPass ROC on Wednesday, December 21 from 5 to 7 p.m.; Empire Merchants North tastings on Wednesday, December 21 from 7 to 9 p.m.

Photo by Tomas Flint for Roc Holiday Village 2022

EVEN MORE FREE EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES THIS YEAR!



• 24 days of Free Ice Skating and skate rentals presented by Wegmans on the outdoor ice rink. A limited number of ice skate rentals and skate helpers are available. Participants are encouraged to bring their own skates.
• Live music on The Buckingham Properties Stage inside The Triple-O Lodge on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings.
• Crafts for Kids inside the T-Mobile Gingerbread House presented by Goldfish Swim School, Girl Scouts of Western New York, Home Depot, Macaroni Kid, and Boy Scouts of America Seneca Waterways Council.
• Bar Karaoke is back after its popular debut in 2021. Singers will take the Buckingham Properties Stage inside The Triple-O Lodge every Wednesday evening along with a live band.
• Holiday Celebrations
• Ice rink theme days and special events
• Full calendar of events by visiting rocholidayvillage.com/events/2022-12.

Photo by Tomas Flint for Roc Holiday Village 2022

More Shopping and Eating in The Village



• Shop, eat and drink from more than 20 retail vendors; a complete list of retailers is posted online at rocholidayvillage.com/shopping-village.
• Shop Roc Holiday Village's official merchandise, one-of-a-kind keepsakes and collector items.

Frosty’s Food Court – A rotation of various food trucks and vendors will be located outside on Court St. Outdoor picnic table seating will be available. The lineup of daily food offerings is posted online at rocholidayvillage.com/food. Court St. is closed to traffic during Roc Holiday Village operating hours.

The Triple-O Lodge – The indoor heated tent will feature a bar with wine, sparkling wine, beer, hard cider, hard seltzer, mulled wine, juice, soda and water from the bar. The Lodge also features a new Hot Cocoa & Coffee Bar. Free live music on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings on the Buckingham Properties Stage will feature local musicians. Bar Karaoke will take place every Wednesday evening. The Triple-O Lodge also features a mini arcade with free games and TVs. Tables are first come first served. Reservations are not needed. 

Parking

Roc Holiday Village does not operate any parking facilities but there are many surface lots and ramp parking garages conveniently located nearby. Please read the signs and make sure that parking is allowed. Many lots are private for the use of patrons only. The Festival cannot take any responsibility for those who park illegally. 

Metered parking is available on area streets, it is free after 6 PM Fridays and all day Saturdays and Sundays, please read the signs and only park in legal spots. 

Parking is also available at the Washington Square Garage, Allpro Parking Garage at the Five Star Bank Building, Court Street Garage, Midtown Garage, and Fairway Parking. Court St., between Chestnut St.(note: Manhattan Square Dr. will be closed to thru traffic during the hours while the Village is open).

Parking for the Roc Holiday Village is also available in The Strong Museum Parking Garage, which may be accessed off of Howell Street, where the daily parking rate for non-museum visitors is $10.

For more information on parking visit rocholidayvillage.com/parking.

About Roc Holiday Village

Roc Holiday Village is Rochester, New York’s favorite, magical winter festival! Delighting people of all ages, Roc Holiday Village 2022 will present 15 days of enchanting festivities on varying dates from December 2 to December 22. The downtown festival features outdoor seating and fire pits, free ice skating and skate rentals, a unique shopping village, an indoor bar 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. In its third year in 2021, Roc Holiday Village drew more than 100,000 people of all ages to the heart of downtown Rochester at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Memorial Park. 2022 is Roc Holiday Village’s fourth year. It is 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 and Nolan's Rentals Inc. 

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