Things To Do in Rochester
Summer Events 2012
May
Rochester High Falls International Film Festival—May 2-7
Lilac Festival—May 11-20
Rochester Greek Festival—May 30-June 2*
June
Fairport Canal Days—June 2-3
Rochester International Jazz Festival—June 22-30
Rochester Harbor and Carousel Festival—June 22-24*
Town of Webster Summer Celebration—June 23*
July
Sterling Renaissance Festival—Saturdays and Sundays July 7-August 19
Corn Hill Arts Festival—July 7-8
Monroe County Fair—July 11-15
Big Rib Bar-B-Que and Blues Fest—July 12-15
Festa Italiana—July 13-15*
Rochester Music Fest—July 18-21*
Macedonian Festival—July 20-22
Native American Dance and Music Festival—July 21-22*
Spencerport Canal Days—July 28-29
Ten Ugly Men Festival—July 21*
August
Puerto Rican Festival—August 3-5*
Park Avenue Summer Art Festival—August 4-5
Ukranian Festival—August 16-19*
Brockport Summer Arts Festival—August 11-12
Greater Rochester Germanfest—August 10-12
Carifest 2010—August 11
New York State Fair—August 23-September 3
Summer Season
Genesee Country Village & Museum
*These dates are estimated. Some festivals have not yet released dates for 2012.
Arts and Theater
Downstairs Cabaret Theatre is a not-for-profit professional theater that puts on many plays and musicals throughout the year. Visit www.downstairscabaret.com for a schedule of events and ticket information. Student discounts are available.
The Eastman School of Music, at the corner of Main and Gibbs Streets, is one of the world’s major centers for the study of music. Facilities include the Sibley Music Library, the Howard Hanson Recital Hall, and the Eastman Theatre. For a listing of public performances, concerts, and recitals, call the Music Line at 274-1100 or visit www.esm.rochester.edu/concerts/.
Geva Theatre is Rochester’s premier professional regional theater. It offers a mix of classics and new plays, ranging from Shakespeare to regional playwrights. Rush tickets are available with student ID. Visit www.gevatheatre.org for show info.
The Memorial Art Gallery, 500 University Avenue, is the University’s art museum and is open to the public. It has an outstanding art collection, constantly changing loan shows, art classes, library, tours, demonstrations, and lectures almost every day of the week. Admission is free with UR student ID. In mid-September, the Gallery hosts the Clothesline Arts Show, one of the oldest and largest outdoor art shows in the U.S. Over 600 artists and craftspeople participate. It is held in mid-September on the grounds of the MAG. Information about all gallery events can be found at mag.rochester.edu.
The Rochester Museum and Science Center is a 12-acre cultural complex featuring exhibits on history, anthropology, local history, and astronomy. Inside are examples of American Indian Life, bird and animal life, rooms and shops from the 18th and 19th centuries, and displays of optics and biology. Next door, the Strasenburgh Planetarium is one of the world’s first computer-automated planetariums. Check out www.rmsc.org for show schedules and events.
The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra is one of the country’s finest symphony orchestras, and performs primarily at the Eastman Theatre. It offers an array of classical, pops, and family concerts, often sponsoring guest performers of world renown. Through the PAETEC Partners Program students can get $5 tickets to many great RPO performances. Visit www.rpo.org for more information.
The Strong Museum is one of the nation’s best children’s museums featuring a hands-on history museum for kids of all ages. With its recent expansion, the museum is sure to have something for the kid in everyone, including a butterfly garden. Visit www.strongmuseum.org for more information.
Festivals
The Lilac Festival is a ten-day celebration held every May, coinciding with the blooming of over 1,600 colorful lilac bushes, the world’s largest display, in Highland Park.
The Corn Hill Arts Festival features a variety of arts and crafts for sale along with a range of live music and other entertainment.
The Monroe County Fair includes agricultural exhibits, farm animal competitions, technology exhibits, concerts, motor sports, and museum park attractions.
The Park Avenue Summer Arts Festival has something for everyone—music, arts and crafts exhbits, outdoor dining, and unique shopping.
Historic Places
The Center at High Falls, 60 Browns Race, introduces visitors to Rochester’s early history, natural surroundings, culture, and its important inhabitants through exhibits, video, and slide presentations. This urban heritage area features the Triphammer Forge, Granite Mills Commons, the Pont de Rennes Bridge, lending a panoramic view of the 96-foot High Falls (right here in Rochester!), and seasonal laser and lights shows. Call 325-2030 for more information.
City Hall, 30 Church Street, is a magnificently restored building. The central atrium is an attraction in itself. Besides municipal offices, City Hall houses exhibits, concerts, and other performing arts events.
The George Eastman House, 900 East Avenue, is worth seeing for its architecture and grounds, as well as its world-renowned photography collection. At the house you’ll also find the Dryden Theater, a great place to catch films from the museum’s library collection as well as special events with visiting filmmakers.
The Rochester Public Market, off North Union Street, north of East Main Street, is an alternative to the ordinary shopping experience and has been at this location since 1905. Fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy products, flowers and plants, dry goods, jewelry, crafts, ethnic delicacies, and curiosities abound. Catch the Green Line each Saturday for a quick trip right from campus.
The Susan B. Anthony House, 17 Madison Street, was the home of Susan B. Anthony for 40 years. It was the headquarters for her crusade for women’s suffrage and contains many original furnishings and memorabilia. Tour time is about one hour. Call 235-6124 for more information.
Parks and Nature
The Genesee River Parks along the Genesee River are some of the area’s most beautiful parks. Ontario Beach Park, at Lake and Beach Avenues, is near the Charlotte Lighthouse. Turning Point Park, at Lake Avenue and Boxart Street, offers a scenic spot for picnicking, fishing, and water fun. Seneca Park is home of the zoo, and is a great spot for biking, hiking, fishing, and picnicking. Downtown, you might want to picnic at the Genesee Crossroads Park on Andrews Street, the Aqueduct Park on Main Street, or the Erie Canal Aqueduct on Broad Street. The Genesee Gateway Park is on Mt. Hope Avenue, and right next to the UR is the Genesee Valley Park, with hiking and biking trails, swimming, boating, skating, tennis, golf, and athletic fields. The New York State Barge Canal intersects the river here, providing access to the canal path, which leads for many miles both east and west along the historic canal system.
Mt. Hope Cemetery is located next to River Campus. One of the country’s great Victorian municipal cemeteries, it has a park-like atmosphere that attracts joggers and bicyclists to its cobblestone pathways and pastoral landscaping. The 200 acres include the graves of Frederick Douglass, Susan B. Anthony, Colonel Nathaniel Rochester, and Louis Henry Morgan.
Seabreeze Amusement Park, 4600 Culver Road, overlooks scenic Lake Ontario. Rides, a huge arcade, and free picnicking are available. Call 323-1350 for more information.
The Seneca Park Zoo features over 500 wild and exotic animals from all over the world. Find out more at senecaparkzoo.org.
Regional Attractions
Need to escape campus for the day? There are tons of things to do and see within a few hours of Rochester. Save money on gas and tolls or find a ride with the Roadtrip online rideboard at www.sa.rochester.edu/roadtrip.
Darien Lake Amusement Park, route 78 in Darien, NY, is about a 40-minute drive on Interstate 90 West (exit 48A). A flat admission price lets you go on all rides, including intense roller coasters and a huge waterpark. Plan a picnic lunch. See www.godarienlake.com.
Eastview Mall is the largest shopping center in the Rochester area, featuring stores you won’t find elsewhere. About 20 minutes from the campus, the mall is just off of Interstate 490 in Victor, NY.
Letchworth State Park is nicknamed “The Grand Canyon of the East” and encompasses some 14,350 acres of magnificent scenery including the Genesee Gorge, the Museum of Pioneer and Indian History, and the Glen Iris Inn. For park information, visit nysparks.state.ny.us.
National Women’s Hall of Fame honors some of the greatest women in the history of the United States, right in the village where it all began. Seneca Falls is approximately 90 minutes from campus. For more information visit www.greatwomen.org.
Niagara Falls is one of the most renowned tourist spots in the world, and rightly so. It is a 70- to 80-minute drive from Rochester.
The Rochester Public Library has 11 branches throughout the City. The flagship Rundel main library is located beside the river, just a couple of miles from campus, and has unique resources about Rochester’s history. It’s worth a trip. See www.libraryweb.org or call 428-7300.
Sporting Events
The Blue Cross Arena at the Rochester War Memorial is a 12,000 seat venue for concerts and sporting events located just a couple of miles north of campus on the west side of the river. In the winter months it is home to the Rochester Americans, the ice hockey team affiliated with the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League. It is also home to the Rochester Raiders (arena football), Knighthawks (lacrosse), and Razor Sharks (basketball). For schedules visit www.bluecrossarena.com.
Frontier Field is Rochester’s downtown stadium, home to the Red Wings baseball team, and special events from the spring through fall. The Red Wings are the triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins baseball team. Check out www.redwingsbaseball.com for more information.
Rochester Rhinos Stadium, built in 2006, is home to the Rhinos, Rochester’s popular and highly successful professional soccer team. For schedule and ticket information, visit www.rhinossoccer.com.