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Photo by Roberto F. Lagares
I want to remember this
EDITOR'S LETTER
BY LEAH STACY LEAH@ROCCITYMAG.COM
Remember when social media first dropped? Poorly lit pictures of lunch. A flower. Funny tweets. Nothing like today’s dumpster fire of FOMO influencer culture and AI slop with a sidecar of political trauma.
A few (elder millennial) friends and I were talking recently about how we use our personal social media these days and agreed: it’s less of a flex, more of a diary or journal. Sometimes I will go back through my internet archive just to keep myself accountable or as a reminder — what was I doing last year? Have I kept up with myself? Am I spending my time well? I did that recently, on a day where I was feeling behind the eight ball. (Highly recommended if, like me, you have a subpar short-term memory and the highest standards for yourself.)
Many of us would likely agree it’s been a massive year of change on all levels. Personally, professionally, nationally.
The most important changes on my end, personally, have been happy ones: a brother getting married, another brother welcoming his third child, a sister having her first. In a real plot twist, the brother who just got married also found out he’ll be a dad in 2026 (making me an aunt eight times)! Life continues.
And I feel increasingly grateful to bear witness to the joys, big and small. When I am tempted to count down the moments until a workday or a workout or an obligation is done so I can move to the next thing, I try to take a breath and remind myself, “Time is all we have. Be here. You want to remember this.”
During a celebration of philanthropy for the Rochester Area Community Foundation last month,
RACF CEO Simeon Banister shared a story about one of Rochester’s greatest documenters, Frederick Douglass. As an abolitionist and social reformer, Douglass was often targeted for his beliefs, and he lost work in fires and through fleeing dangerous situations. And he kept on going. In addition to his books, Douglass published several abolitionist newspapers. His first, “The North Star,” was produced in 1847, from the basement of the Memorial AME Zion Church right here in Rochester. While Douglass wasn’t a native, we call him our own and this became his final resting place — his second wife was from Honeoye; he’s buried in Mount Hope Cemetery.
As a changemaker and orator, Douglass understood the power of words. Documentation. Bearing witness.
In 2025, it felt as though
journalism was more threatened — and more important — than ever. (Wild, considering how high the stakes were already.) Especially as funding dries up for smaller, local publications, we are so fortunate at CITY to have a supportive readership and foundational parent organization in WXXI. To have the opportunity to continue printing words and images about our community, to see the magazines in coffee shops and grocery stores and in the hands of your children and on your kitchen tables, is the greatest gift.
And we truly couldn’t do it without you.
As I closed my editor’s letter in December 2025: “Every bit of journalism we produce at CITY can be read, viewed, shared and talked about in your worlds. If the work we do matters to you, please let people know. Or, if you
can, become a CITY Champion and support local journalism each month! Take out an ad! Sign up for our newsletter! Local news, from breaking and investigative to arts and culture, makes a direct impact on the people and businesses you know and love. (Just like the ol’ Bailey Brothers Building & Loan.)”
I’ll revive that paragraph from the archive every year. Let’s keep telling stories, bearing witness and recording history together. Thank you for trusting us to be keepers of culture.
(Look for the red box.)
Here’s to 2026 —
L
PHOTO COURTESY HYPEBOOTH
CITY Social
Local arts organizations lost federal funding in 2025. What’s next?
Making cents
BY PATRICK HOSKEN PATRICK@ROCCITYMAG.COM
Out of the many uses for the letterpress machines at Flower City Arts Center, this year has seen a rise in protest posters. The Trump administration’s myriad executive orders, immigration crackdowns and weaponization of the Department of Justice have galvanized artists and other community members to push back.
Executive director Kristin Rapp said the machines offer a voice to do just that.
“Those are traditionally where people would be expressing dissent or public protest and making signs or making literature,” Rapp said. “We have the big, expansive type collection and we definitely have seen people using it for the protests that they’re going to.”
Without proper funding, the center would not be able to offer many of its services and classes in addition to the community arts programming for which it’s come to be known. This year, the future of that funding came into question due to cuts at the federal level.
Flower City Arts Center had applied for a $95,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), earmarked for what Rapp called “a community-based collaborative project.” But the center did not receive it. The Trump administration began canceling federal grants in May, in what became sweeping cuts to the NEA, the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).
Federal funding from these agencies provides essential operating money for arts nonprofits across the country, including many local organizations in addition to Flower City Arts Center like Visual Studies Workshop, Boa Editions and more.
Rapp said the cuts strike her as a means to stymie diversity, equity and inclusion in the arts. But without specific feedback from the agency, she’ll never know.
“We asked for that funding and we were not funded. We do not know if it is because we have a strong
stance on DEI,” she said. “They’re certainly not going to tell us that, either.”
CITY spoke with the heads of five local arts nonprofits to hear about how the loss of federal funding affects their specific organizations as well as the arts scene at large — and what this moment means for the future of those groups in Rochester. Their answers illuminate what may be on the horizon in 2026 and beyond.
“IT’S ABOUT SURVIVAL”
When poetry publisher Boa Editions lost a $35,000 grant from the NEA, it also lost its single largest source of funding. The money had been designated to support work from several authors; in practical terms, it also meant that Boa — which publishes about a dozen books per year — would not be able to offer hardcover editions or audiobooks for certain titles.
Publisher and executive director Peter Conners said the loss also hampers marketing efforts for Boa which, unlike other local arts organizations such as Geva Theatre or the Memorial Art Gallery, does not have a physical space for the public to engage with its work.
“I hate to put it so in such dire terms, but it’s about survival,” he said. “Our books go into the world, so people don’t interface with us as an organization. It is important to put the word out there.”
Boa marks its 50th anniversary in 2026, so the publisher has begun celebrating with a revamped logo on tote bags and t-shirts. The goal is for the streamlined wordmark to help raise the organization’s profile.
Visual Studies Workshop has also recently made upgrades. In March, the media arts organization and film archive moved to its new home on King Street, near the Susan B. Anthony Museum & House. Not even two months later, its staff learned that its $20,000 grant from the NEA was included in the spate of national cancellations.
The money had been set aside for core projects like artist residencies, publications, exhibitions and public events. The way the grants work, executive director Jessica Johnston explained, is that they reimburse the arts organizations after they spend the money.
“This money was supposed to pay for programming that we did in the spring, so we just did it anyway,” Johnston said.
Funding issues are nothing new for nonprofits, she added, and most rely on grants as well as fundraising and sponsorships to help round out their operating budgets. VSW’s, for example, is around $500,000. This presents an opportunity.
“While [losing a $20,000 grant] isn’t insignificant, it is something that, given time, we can work around,” Johnston said.
But in the short term, the loss requires ramped-up fundraising efforts to help reduce the difference.
On the other end of the spectrum, there’s the George Eastman Museum, an arts organization with a larger operating budget than many mid-to-small groups in the region. Yet it was not immune from the federal cuts, executive director Bruce Barnes said.
The museum had three ongoing projects, including creating new
exhibition space, funded by grants from the IMLS at about $250,000 each. Staff received notices of grant termination in May, around the time of the federal cuts. But shortly after, a federal judge in Rhode Island ordered a temporary restraining order to halt the Trump administration’s gutting of the IMLS.
Less than a month after the news of termination, Barnes said the museum received a notice of grant reinstatement. This has placed the museum in a fortunate position for now, though the cuts will likely impact its future operations.
“The bad news is that we do not see, to my knowledge, any IMLS grant opportunities coming that are meaningful in the foreseeable future,” Barnes said.
BANDING TOGETHER
While grant funding can be the difference between a project getting off the ground or stagnating, it’s never guaranteed for a nonprofit organization.
“You never know if you’re going to be selected,” Rapp said. “We don’t hold our breath and count on that money.”
The Eastman Museum, meanwhile, uses money from the IMLS as a starting point for private donations and endowments, Barnes said, which account for a bulk of the organization’s funding.
At the midsize level, the canceled grants to local nonprofits prompted partnership. After the news of federal funding cuts arrived in May, leaders from more than 10 different midsize arts organizations including VSW and Boa gathered to talk about strategies for seeking new sources of financial support.
Bleu Cease, executive director of the Rochester Contemporary Art Center, said the group’s goal was to show state government officials the collective power of what he called “the middle strata of
our art community.”
“We are significantly smaller than the big museums and the Gevas or the [Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra], but in many cases, we own property in town,” Cease said. “We employ somewhere between three and 10 people and we certainly attract hundreds of thousands of visitors.”
RoCo did not lose federal funding; the organization receives about one state grant per year. But Cease called the loss of reimbursement grants “a worst-case scenario” for small and midsize nonprofits.
Ultimately, Cease said, conversations with State Senator Jeremy Cooney urged the group to seek “a specific funding mechanism” to help offset skyrocketing utility costs from RG&E, another potentially existential threat to local midsize organizations, especially those that own buildings.
HELP FROM NEW YORK STATE
With federal funding dried up, many local arts organizations have looked to New York State to help close the gap. The New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) can provide critical support; recent data shows the council awarded grants to nearly 1,500 different organizations this year and $90 million to artists and arts organizations in 2023.
Rapp called NYSCA “a very consistent funder” for Flower City Arts Center, and Johnston noted that VSW has received about $50,000 a year from NYSCA, with the same confirmed for 2026. Conners said that NYSCA has supported Boa “at a really significant level,” and Cease likewise referred to the council as “a great ally.”
“There’s only a couple in this whole country that are on par with NYSCA,” he said.
NYSCA also has a new local member in Erica Fee, the CEO and producer of Rochester Fringe Festival. This doesn’t mean special treatment for Rochester-based organizations, Fee told CITY earlier this year, but it does mean a dedicated member of the council who can represent the region and speak to the climate of its arts scene.
“Everyone is really hurting,” Fee said. “Luckily, there are some philanthropists who are stepping up to try to fill the void. Another thing that you’re seeing is a lot of groups trying to collaborate with each other in ways that they haven’t before.”
2026 AND BEYOND
The loss of federal funding has led to feelings of great uncertainty in the arts scene (Barnes said that it will slow down the Eastman Museum’s future progress “without question”), but with that threat has also come an outpouring of love and support from the community.
Johnston said the private donations to VSW have been nice, and so have the kind messages. The goal is to reflect the gestures in VSW’s culture.
“We’ll do the best we can to make sure all the people that come to our programs and all the artists that we serve are welcome here and feel that kind of acceptance in our community,” she said.
Flower City Arts Center is continuing its partnerships with other local organizations as well.
“We had another small nonprofit organization come to us today, out of the blue, and they had a plumbing issue, and the roof started caving in, and they came over here and said, ‘Do you think you’d be able to offer us some space to run classes?’” Rapp said. “We’re definitely open to those types of collaborations because we need to do those kinds of things for our neighbors and for our community. We have to be there for each other.”
Cease, meanwhile, is looking to meet with city and county officials along with the collective of other midsize arts organizations to continue to raise awareness for the scale of their work, how they operate and how they can benefit from additional support.
“A $5,000 grant or a $10,000 grant to a midsized organization is a really big deal,” he said.
After all, Conners added, the arts are easy to take for granted.
“People don’t realize what it takes to have those places stay in operation and the value that they add,” he said.
Conners hopes that additional attention given to arts organizations will help people see the value of them as small businesses that operate as part of the larger local economy, especially as employers of local workers.
“Those people have cars that break down. They need daycare. They have doctor’s appointments. They go to Wegmans and buy food. This is what an economy is, right?” he said. “We are part of that as well.”
PHOTO PROVIDED
Build a dopamine menu
RECREATION
BY FLORENCE CARDELLA
People love to talk about the weather. It’s a safe topic to fill gaps in conversation or segue into the unapproachable. But for all the time I’ve spent talking about the weather, I didn’t spend much time thinking about how it impacts me — until the last few years, because I started talking to a therapist.
My first therapist, Alecia, lived in a different state, so we met virtually. Each session, she started off by asking, “How’s it going? What’s it like there in Rochester this week?” I didn’t get it. Who cared what the weather was like — we had real things to talk about. Eventually I asked her why, and she asked if I had ever heard of Seasonal Affective Disorder, AKA seasonal depression.
“Of course, but I don’t have that,” I said, “I’m definitely not depressed.” (So declares every minorly or majorly depressed person ever.)
It turns out depression falls on a sliding scale and is deeply intertwined with your environment. My emotions, and many people’s, are tied to the seasons and to the sun. Spring and summer are forever associated with energy and light, while fall and winter link to darkness and desolation. Earlier this fall, a
How to plan for — and lessen — seasonal depression.
friend showed me a TikTok video by Gabrielle Coffy about winter planning and making a “Dopamine Menu,” suggesting we do the same — a list of things to help survive the grey days of winter.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), is the country’s largest grassroots mental health initiative and offers a wealth of resources for those battling major depressive disorder with a seasonal pattern.
According to the website, “the key to an accurate diagnosis of this condition is recognizing its pattern. Symptoms usually begin in October/November and subside in March/April. Some people begin to experience a ‘slump’ as early as August, while others remain well until January. Regardless of the time of onset, most people don’t feel fully ‘back to normal’ until early May.” NAMI also notes that prevalence increases among people living in higher/northern latitudes, younger people and women.
So, what’s the cure? NAMI offers a short list: exercise more toward the end of summer; get into therapy around September; start your lightbox in October; plan a vacation to a sunny spot in January.
A DOPAMINE MENU!
Below is my (localized) version, with options for at-home and outside. So, consider this a jumping off point for making your own dopamine menu — along with insight from a few pros:
MAKE ART AT HOME: PAPER RINGS
For this task, you’ll need paper — the more colorful, the better — clear tape, scissors, a writing utensil and some whimsy. Cut as many 3” x 6” strips of paper as you see fit. On each, write something from your heart: a wish, a moment of pride, something you want to let go. Form a ring with the paper, and seal it in place with tape. As you fill out more strips, thread pieces of paper through each other to form a chain. Soon you’ll have a
colorful decoration or, at the very least, a physical manifestation of your thoughts.
OUTSIDE: VISIT AN ART GALLERY OR MUSEUM
The Memorial Art Gallery is currently hosting ‘Frontiers of Impressionism,’ which focuses on the balance between light and dark, playing with both physical and metaphorical shadows. “There’s an entire corner of the exhibit that’s dedicated to interacting with the different concepts of impressionism … from young kids to adults, (everyone) can play with color, shape, light,” said MAG marketing and PR specialist Paige Engard.
TRY
NEW FOOD + DRINKS AT HOME: “CHOPPED”
Your favorite reality TV show, but at home! Raid the fridge and pantry and pull out five things you’ve been meaning to play around with or use up. Don’t look at a recipe, just follow your gut and make something new. Cooking feeds your body, yes, but your soul, too.
OUTSIDE: TRY A NEW COFFEE SHOP
You deserve a little treat, and sometimes it’s easier to reflect when you’re in an engaging environment. Coffee shops here vary in terms of design and offerings, but you can almost always find an array of plants, cozy lighting, local art and the opportunity to lock in and either create or learn.
MOVE
YOUR BODY AT HOME: WALK AROUND YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD AT DAWN OR TWILIGHT
Bundle up, bring a drink (and a camera, if you’ve got one). Look at how light interacts with the place you call home. There is such a strong connection between mental and physical health — the body fuels the mind and the mind fuels the body in an endless cycle. Engaging in physical activity at any level is so good for your brain, so why not do a little bit of exploration and meditation?
OUTSIDE: TAKE A CLASS
Dance, yoga, fencing, Jiu-jitsu, pole dancing, swimming — Rochester is absolutely flush with opportunities to move your body in different ways. Some of my favorite classes have been at Tru Yoga on South Avenue, Aerial Arts of Rochester on University Avenue and The Floor Dance Company on Monroe Avenue.
CREATE COMMUNITY AT HOME:
WRITE A LETTER
Yes, by hand! Pen a note to someone that brings light into your life. Tell them why. Tell them how they’ve changed you for the better. Tell them about your life, your dreams and your goals for the coming months. Make a plan to spend time together soon.
OUTSIDE: TAKE A MINI ROAD TRIP
Genesee Country Village & Museum (GCVM) in Mumford holds several wintertime events that bring attendees together around the warmth of a hearth, candle-lit paths over snow covered grounds and into Yuletide traditions of yesteryear. In the winter months, the museum encourages guests to come cozy and ready to learn — this season’s special events include afternoon teatimes, breakfast with Saint Nick and narrative Yuletide in the Country tours. “Paths are surrounded by candlelit lanterns to honor the time period and curate the scene,” said VP of visitor services Kelly Burns. “You won’t see any (digital) screens once you pass through the tollhouse and step back into history.”
Take a moment to connect with the seasons and with yourself, and bring some light into your life this winter. You are not alone. <3
For more information about NAMI, visit namiroc.org, email info@ namiroc.org or call 585-423-1593. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health or suicidal thoughts, call 1-800-9506264 or dial 988 for 24/7 assistance.
ILLUSTRATION BY JACOB WALSH
Passing the torch
BY KELLEN BECK
As Rochester Brainery founder Danielle Raymo contemplated ending her decade-plus tenure with the business, she wanted to go out the right way. She didn’t want to just close down, leaving the teachers of so many experiential classes without that revenue stream or unique marketing opportunity. She also didn’t want to hand it over to someone that was going to radically change how the Brainery operated.
When Mike Krupnicki heard Raymo was preparing to sell, he eagerly called her, only slightly tweaking that she hadn’t already reached out to him. Krupnicki owns Arc + Flame, an education and art space in Chili focused on flameworking: welding, blacksmithing and glass working. The two business owners have been collaborating for about 10 years, and Krupnicki officially bought Rochester Brainery in August.
“In every aspect he’s the perfect person to take over the reins of the business,” Raymo said. “He knows the community, he knows the class landscape, he’s worked with teachers before and customer service is the most important thing to him.”
Krupnicki is a gregarious guy who loves to crack a joke. He started working at Mahany Welding Supply in 1982 when he was 18 — a business his father bought after also finding work there in 1946, shortly after
After 12 years, Rochester Brainery has a new owner.
COMMUNITY
the end of World War II. Over the years, the business changed hands from father to son, and Krupnicki’s passion for teaching pushed him to start offering welding classes onsite in the early 2000s. By 2009, more than 3,500 students had taken classes. A need for skilled welders in the area led to a partnership with Monroe Community College to create a 20-week job readiness program. Now in his classroom at Arc + Flame, Krupnicki looks up at his wall of 800 graduate photos (including one student who married his daughter) with adoration and pride.
“Nobody else is doing anything like this,” Krupnicki said. “These folks are my legacy.”
For Raymo, Rochester Brainery has been a long-term labor of love. In the early 2010s, she lived and worked in New York City, managing Red Jacket’s brand. She happened to live near Brooklyn Brainery on the west side of the borough, and lined up Red Jacket farmer Mike Biltonen to teach a class on small-scale gardening for apartment-dwellers in the city. Raymo loved the concept and immediately saw it as a great marketing tool for small businesses. Meanwhile Rochester was calling her back home, and she wanted to build something similar for her hometown. When she and early partner Stephanie Rankin were trying to come up with a new name, they realized “Brainery” was the perfect word and asked for permission to use it (granted).
Rochester Brainery has offered to the public a wide pool of community-led, hands-on classes that range from baking homemade donuts and jewelry-making to website-building and historical walking tours. Over the last decade, the Brainery has grown and evolved into a kind of cult favorite for people who are looking
to get out and try new things.
“Nobody says a bad thing about the Brainery,” Krupnicki said. “I don’t have an opportunity to fix something, I have an opportunity to grow something that’s already great. And that’s kind of a fun challenge for me.”
Raymo has maintained fulltime jobs ever since she started the Brainery. She’s currently the communications manager for the George Eastman Museum, and she’s been ready to do a little less.
“It was kind of my goal that by the time I turn 40, maybe it would be nice to just have one job,” Raymo said. “I have pretty much always had two jobs since I graduated high school. It’s probably time.”
She’s not fully out, of course. Raymo and Krupnicki have been working together through the transition and she’s assisting with some marketing — there’s a chance if you email Rochester Brainery, you still may get a response from her.
Krupnicki has been mulling some ideas for the Brainery, including class expansions to the suburbs further outside the city and acquiring a dedicated space,
like Rochester Brainery had on Anderson Avenue until 2023. But he’s taking it slowly. There’s no rush to expand things.
“I feel a lot of responsibility,” he said. “I see too many businesses – family businesses – that get bought by big conglomerates. They just destroy these beautiful family businesses. I’m not some corporate raider. Her business fits [Arc + Flame] so well, and it’s helping me stay connected to my hometown.”
As her involvement with Rochester Brainery winds down (she just took the first vacation where she didn’t need to do work in some fashion every single day), Raymo feels appreciative of all the people who have taught and taken classes.
“This community wants to learn from each other, and the Brainery absolutely wouldn’t even exist if people didn’t want to share what they know with others,” she said. “I’m excited to see it continue in ways that maybe I didn’t imagine. And to still be a little bit a part of it is really amazing.” rochesterbrainery. com
Left, Brainery founder Danielle Raymo. Top and right, photos from Brainery classes. PHOTOS PROVIDED
An Arc + Flame welding class. PHOTO PROVIDED
Because words hold more meaning than a gift certificate.
5 local-ish books for the reader in your life
BY LEAH STACY LEAH@ROCCITYMAG.COM
Garrison Keillor, longtime host of the Minnesota Public Radio show “A Prairie Home Companion,” once said, “a book is a gift you can open again and again.” And while Kindles are convenient and alluring, nothing quite tops cracking a fresh book spine and breathing in the printed pages.
Whether you’re stumped on what to buy someone or you need a lesserknown tome for the bookworm in your life, here are five local-ish books that might do the trick.
“PILGRIMS”
BY DEVIN KELLY
Though he’s not a Rochester native, Kelly comes close — his extended family lived here, which meant frequent road trips from downstate. He penned his first novel, “Pilgrims,” about a monk who leaves the monastery to search for his teenage brother who has run away from home in the middle of a high school cross-country race. The monastery is based on none other than the Abbey of the Genesee in Piffard outside Geneseo, where the Trappist monks
have taken a vow of silence and produce delicious baked goods like Monks’ Bread. (For more, read Pete Wayner’s March 2025 profile of Kelly on our website.) greatplacebooks.com
“THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS” BY SARAH CEDEÑO
A Brockport native and writing professor at her undergraduate alma mater, SUNY Brockport, Cedeño set her debut story collection in the town of “Bridgeport,” a fictional version of her canalside hometown. The first story is based on a true murder trial from the 1930s, when a dog was convicted for drowning a child in the canal and sentenced to house arrest, while the following stories evoke a moody, college-esque journey through the 20th century. Cedeño also holds an MFA from Goddard College and lives in Brockport with her husband, two sons, some old ghosts and two German shepherds. smallharborpublishing.com
“SINGING FROM THE HEART: THE DADY BROTHERS, IRISH MUSIC, AND ETHNIC ENDURANCE IN AN AMERICAN CITY” BY CHRISTOPHER SHANNON
Historian and author Shannon used brothers John and the late Joe Dady to anchor his December 2024 book rather than a previously planned
chapter because, as Patrick Hosken noted in his March 2025 CITY profile of John: “The Dady Brothers (are) fixtures of the local music scene, essential voices of Irish-American music and eventual Rochester Music Hall of Fame inductees … (Shannon’s book) weaves the Dadys’ musical contributions into a larger patchwork of the post-World War II experience of Irish Americans in Rochester’s old Tenth Ward neighborhood, where Shannon and the Dadys all grew up.” It’s a must-read for anyone with Irish or musical roots in Rochester. starrynightpublishing.com
“TALES OF MILITANT CHEMISTRY: THE FILM FACTORY IN A CENTURY OF WAR” BY
ALICE LOVEJOY
Lovejoy is not a Rochesterian, but she is a film and media historian and a professor at the University of Minnesota trained in filmmaking. Her interests collide in her August 2025 book, which connects film —
with a direct link to Eastman Kodak Co. — as a material to the twentieth century’s history of war, destruction and cruelty. “Following scientists, soldiers, prisoners and spies through Kodak’s and (Germany competitor) Agfa’s global empires, Lovejoy links the golden age of cinema and photography to colonialism, the military-industrial complex, radioactive dust, and toxic waste.” Needless to say, this isn’t fiction. ucpress.edu
“THE INVISIBLE EYE” BY SPARROW
HALL
He’s not a ghost hunter, but Rochester native Sparrow Hall scares up some spooky New York State scenes in his June 2025 paranormal thriller. The plot follows a fashion-world insider with second sight who chases a covert government program as past lives flood the present — from Manhattan’s gloss to Upstate New York’s shadows — where love, spirit and conspiracy collide. The young author based his writings on his love of New York State and his own experiences living in Penfield, Brockport, Buffalo and New York City. (Alyssa Koh penned a web-only profile of Hall in October; find it on CITY’s website.) sparrowhall.com
“Evergreen,” from Finger Lakes author Trent Preszler, debuts December 2.
The search for truth among America’s trees
BY JON HEATH
In his new book, Trent Preszler remembers cutting down a Christmas tree with his father on a snow-drifted South Dakotan prairie. He’s seven or eight years old, yet the memory remains vivid. He recalls that “the young pines stood motionless, waiting to learn which of them would die.”
That moment, quiet and severe, opens “Evergreen: The Trees That Shaped America” from Algonquin Books (Little, Brown and Company), which hits shelves December 2. It becomes the root system for a sprawling work that examines not just trees, but the nation they helped build.
As a professor of practice in the Dyson School at Cornell University and former CEO of Bedell Cellars and chairman of WineAmerica who has an Instagram following of more than 165,000, Preszler spent the past three years exploring his fascination with evergreens — trees that, he argues, mirror America’s own endurance and contradictions.
But “Evergreen” isn’t a memoir like his debut, “Little and Often” (2021). It’s an outward-facing book, expansive in scope, tracing how these trees have shaped American history,
"Oregon" sequoia tree in General Grant Grove, Kings Canyon National Park, CA.
PHOTO BY MARTY ALIGATA
industry and identity. From the towering redwoods along California’s coast to the neat eight-foot Christmas trees that line rural farms every December, Preszler treats each as both symbol and specimen.
Loosely inspired by Maxine Bédat’s “Unraveled: The Life and Death of a Garment,” which follows a pair of jeans from Texas cotton fields to factories overseas, Preszler homes in on wood as America’s first infrastructure — the evergreen as both material and metaphor.
“Wood from evergreen conifers is what built this country, and what builds a lot of people’s homes,” he said. “But evergreens also have this wonderful cultural significance at Christmas. I became fascinated by that connection; how something so utilitarian and structural can also be spiritual and sacred and part of so many people’s lives, cultures and memories of childhood.”
In 2022, Preszler set out across 20 states, visiting Christmas tree farms, lumber mills and plywood factories. The trip became a kind of pilgrimage, equal parts fieldwork and meditation on growth and loss. Along the way, he encountered the contradictions of the nation’s forestry story: the ingenuity, the waste and the yearning to reclaim what’s been lost.
“There are chapters about the giant sequoias and redwoods in California,” he said, “and the almost fanatical and tragic decimation of those trees in the late 1800s and early 1900s — how gleefully America destroyed one of our most precious natural resources.”
But amid that devastation, Preszler also uncovered tender, unexpected stories. In archival photos from Stanford University Libraries, he noticed pairs of lumberjacks standing hand-in-hand.
“It turns out much of the timbercutting workforce in that era were basically closeted, down-low gay men,” he said.
For Preszler, discovering that hidden lineage carried deep personal meaning. As a gay man, he was profoundly moved to find his identity stamped in the historical record.
Though “Evergreen” lingers on the beauty of the trees themselves, Preszler doesn’t shy away from their shadows. He
writes about the devastation of wildfires (evergreen sap is rich with flammable turpentine), the relentless spread of bark beetle infestations and the uneasy future of the artificial Christmas tree — plastic, convenient and destined for the landfill. He even plays with the irony of the title itself.
“In a roundabout way, evergreens are not really evergreen,” he said. “We’re losing them, and they may
not be here for future generations.”
Fake trees, he notes, don’t escape that paradox.
“Even when people buy a plastic tree, they still throw it away eventually,” he said.
Tyler Stone, owner of BTN of Oregon, a 2,700-acre Christmas tree farm in Salem, helped Preszler understand the role of the modernday Christmas tree.
“I give lots of farm tours to buyers,” Stone said. “But giving Trent a tour was different. He’s passionate about the whole 10-year process of growing a real Christmas tree, not just the finished product. Tree farming is not for the faint of heart. Each tree is hand-pruned every year to give it that ‘perfect’ Christmas tree look. Knowing that we’re growing something so many families gather around at Christmas makes all the hard work worth it.”
In this way, the book closes with a sense of resilience and renewal. Preszler highlights Indigenous-led reforestation projects reclaiming burned and blighted land, framing them as acts of both ecological recovery and spiritual repair. Then, in the final pages, he returns to the ritual that began his story: searching
once again for a Christmas tree. This time, the act carries new meaning — a gesture of continuity, care and gratitude for what endures.
Back in the Finger Lakes, Preszler lives on an acre lush with life. A botanist at heart, he’s planted nearly 500 trees — dwarf conifers, Japanese maples and ginkgos — and tends a basement greenhouse filled with weird and exotic houseplants. This is his happy place. It helps that the environment he’s cultivated on his doorstep inspires his work too.
“A lot of my thoughts about writing come when I’m gardening,” he said. “My mind races, so when I have an idea for a line or a chapter, I’ll come running inside with mud on my boots, sit down and start writing. The garden helps me focus.”
For Preszler, tending to trees or sentences is all part of the same act: nurturing something meant to last, even when nothing truly ever does. After the emotional weight of his debut, writing “Evergreen” felt restorative.
“My first book was painful, personal and sad,” he said. “But ‘Evergreen’ was a pleasure.”
Preszler at the Weyerhaeuser clear-cut in Washington State. PHOTO PROVIDED
MUSIC REVIEWS
“ARE WE THERE YET” BY
KATY MARTIN
Though goals and results drive modern society, it’s only after struggle and pain that we learn the journey is the destination.
Local singer-songwriter Katy Martin’s latest solo album, “Are We There Yet,” captures this wisdom in eight indie folk songs that play with bright, twee sounds while tackling an ever-present heaviness.
Martin, half of the acoustic duo The Local Hang-Ups, is an evocative and gifted songwriter, approaching subjects of loss and faith with a nimble touch. She recorded the album with Eric Andersen at the latter’s Barn Burner Studio in Rochester and released it in October.
The pair use the studio’s toolbox to bring these delicate songs to life, spanning chorus vocals and sweeping strings as well as light percussion. Opener “Tin Cup” channels David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” through the sonics of early Sufjan Stevens and his angelic backing choir. The orchestral, brief “Love” feels like a buried “Bridge Over Troubled Water” b-side.
It would be easy to crowd out Martin’s fine compositions by adding these flourishes, but Andersen keeps the sound balanced, always centering Martin, her voice and her direct and unflowery lyrics. (Sample: You’ve always had your hand on my shoulder / Even when I have been misty and gray.)
This is not overt praise music, though Martin’s faith informs every note. She announced the album with a mention of “the Image of the invisible God, by whom all things are held together” as well as the 2024 death of her father, the cult folk musician known as Zilch Fletcher.
While the music rests comfortably along contemporary hymns, it also taps into a well of playful curiosity. “Wait” is a wordless duet with an automated crosswalk warning voice, and a sparse, faithful cover of Bob Dylan’s “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” brings gravitas.
“Are We There Yet” breezes by in 21 minutes, offering another journey: replaying it.
— PATRICK HOSKEN
“MONTRÉAL” BY THE THRIFFS
Until recently, Rochester band The Thriffs went by a more typical tag: The Thrifts. But due to the existence of another band of the same name, this moody yet energetic quartet modified its name.
The change-up suits the music, a rare blend of insular post-punk infused with blasts of extroverted personality. On The Thriffs’ debut release, “Montréal” — taking the name of the city where the group recorded it — that combination yields a welcome infusion into the local music scene.
Recorded at MTL’s Studio Saint Zo, the five-song collection brushes up against the garage and surf rock that remains abundant in Rochester while creeping into post-punk and even ‘80s goth rock à la The Cure and Siouxsie and the Banshees.
“Montréal” will also please indie rock fans who came of age in the 2010s and currently feel lost at sea in the genre (this writer included). While present stylistic trends favor shoegaze revivalism and a drollness that belies too much scrolling, The Thriffs return to a well that’s still plenty full; think airy bands like Beach Fossils, The Horrors and Diiv.
Six-minute opener “Collector” spans them all, plus a dash of chilly postpunk, to build a stunning sonic résumé. “Projector,” meanwhile, utilizes a clanging, electronic backbeat to paint a darkgaze portrait that’s ready for rotation on SiriusXMU.
“Telescream” and “DMT” double down on what makes The Thriffs an engaging listen: the band is simply not afraid to go all in on the instrumental builds. (The vocals on the former don’t enter until well past a minute.)
As a standard double-guitar-bass-anddrums unit, The Thriffs resemble plenty of other bands on stage. But their bubbling cauldron of live energy is captured here on this studio release — no easy feat. There’s nothing thrifty about the way the group leaves it all out there.
— PATRICK HOSKEN
“BETWEEN STRINGS” BY SUEN-KAM GUITAR DUO
Is physical media dead? Or is it having a comeback? If the latter is the case, let’s have more unusual physical forms, like the guitar-shaped USB drive on which you can find the Suen-Kam Guitar Duo’s debut album, “Between Strings.”
Guitarists Shiuen-Huang Suen and Kenneth Kam met through the Eastman School of Music as graduate students and connected through the community of the Rochester Chinese Christian Church. They’ve been playing together in concerts over the past six years (including on a Live from Hochstein program that I hosted in 2022), and they have just now committed some of their artistry to a recorded album.
Dreamy. Meditative. Lovely. These are some of the words that immediately come to mind when listening to most of this music, whether in Enrique Granados’s “Oriental” from the “Danzas españolas” [Spanish Dances], a beloved Franz Schubert Serenade (arranged by fellow Eastman guitar alum Shih-yu Liu), the “Cavatina” by Stanley Myers from the score to the movie “The Deer Hunter.”
Those are some of the album’s biggest familiar hits, but there are also discoveries, like the music of Cuban composer Eduardo Martín, “Mirándote” [Looking at You], played as an engaging solo by Kam.
You can also find a little more snap, rhythm and brightness in a set of five pieces by French baroque composer Jean-Philippe Rameau. Originally miniature pieces for the harpsichord, they make the transition from keyboard to guitars perfectly in the arrangements by Oscar Casares, as played by Kam and Suen.
The performances are impeccable, and the collaboration on-point throughout, so it makes wonderful, fullattention listening. But if I may dare suggest it — you can also sneak these tracks onto holiday-gathering playlists, and they would impart a sense of joy, peace and togetherness.
— MONA SEGHATOLESLAMI
“PINNACLE HILL” BY COMFORT OBJECT
Where can we put our rage when it becomes too heavy? Where shall we get the release our emotions crave? Local emocore band Comfort Object provides a safe space for those who are fed up with these questions on its latest release, “Pinnacle Hill,” making the case that music is a hobby to some and a savior to others.
The opening track, “Absolute Terror Field,” kicks off the album with high energy reminiscent of ‘90s punk and grunge. Reflective of present times, there’s softness within the chaos via beautiful melody amongst heavy drums and rough vocals.
“Stereotype Threat,” a highlight, invigorates listeners, with its politically charged lyrics encouraging community: If we divide our ranks, we’ll surely fall is sung with passion and resolve, inspiring those who listen. Who are we without camaraderie in the insecure times we live in?
The ferocious eighth track, “Quiet Quitting,” provides a “love” letter to hustle culture, a scornful reminder of the difficulty to survive in the modern world. Attention is immediately grabbed and held by fast-paced instrumentals and angry vocals; relatable for the average person working their life away just to barely scrape by.
The closing track, “P-3/‘Bold in the Manner of the Untamed Child,’” is charged with angst, the verses delivered with both bitterness and tenderness. It’s a memorable closer to a killer album, and Comfort Object finishes feeling energized and ready to scream about all the things that make us feel.
— LEAH JOY
A R D I G N
Jonah Dipasquali remembers the first time he carved up a fresh bank of snow on his friend’s Burton snowboard. It was the late ’80s, when skiing still dominated the mountains and snowboarding was finding its footing in professional and recreational winter sports.
“The equipment back then was just so antiquated, these giant buckles and big webbing straps,” said Dipasquali, who is now operations and events manager — and self-proclaimed “Wonderful Wizard of Snowboarding” — at Neon Wave.
That first somewhat-reckless ride down a hill off the back nine of a golf course is when he knew, “Yep, this is it, I literally bombed, I loved it.” Dipasquali was determined, and eventually got a board of his own and a lift ticket to Swain Ski Resort, where the humbling slopes were nothing like a snow-covered par four.
“I literally wanted to scream,” he said. “Riding in a resort was so much harder. The snow is so different. I had no idea how to steer the board.”
Those early struggles are a constant reminder as Dipasquali teaches new riders now, including when he taught Fred Rainaldi, founder of Neon Wave, how to ride his first snowboard at age six. Decades later, that ethos of determination has translated into the company’s community pop-ups.
Inspired
by the Burton Riglet Program founded by Burton Snowboards in 2009, Neon Wave introduces youth to snowboarding, regardless of snow.
“Since we opened in 2017, we’ve done riglets all year-round. We’ve since begun calling them 'learnto-snowboard riglets,' just to detach ourselves from that brand a little bit with the sole intent of getting kids excited about the idea of snowboarding,” said Neon Wave creative director Justin Dusett. “So we bring a glorified version of sledding, where you have to stand up to do it, to local community events. We even have ice brought in from local rinks.”
The program provides specialized boards with handlebars, ropes and accessories to familiarize learners with the stance, balance and mechanics of snowboarding. Though the Burton program still exists today, it has created less emphasis on meeting kids where they’re at through camps and schools, and is largely found at ski resorts around the world — a fact that adds to the longstanding stigma that winter sports are expensive and inaccessible.
Neon Wave’s free community events bring the experience to families newly interested in the sport, an example of some remaining initiatives in the industry that make snowboarding more accessible. Neon Wave also has a store in Stowe, Vermont, two hours from Killington Resort, which offers a snowboard lease program free to youth.
“(Killington) invested $60,000 into this program for the year — you come to the mountain, you get a voucher and take that to a local partnership shop in the area, and you get a lease for the season,” said Dusett. “They’re banking on the fact that you’re going to get that lease and then come to the mountain and pay for a lift ticket. While it doesn’t remove the barrier, it makes it a step shorter.”
Dipasquali — who has seen the industry change across decades — said despite existing barriers, some parts of the sport have become more accessible, especially secondhand and leasing equipment, while lift tickets at resorts have become more expensive as giant conglomerates absorb the resorts.
There’s an ongoing debate as to whether the acquisition of ski resorts is necessary and healthy, but there has been a shift in the local subculture in response to rising resort prices. Smaller “rope-tow” (a service lift that helps riders up a hill by holding on to a moving rope) locations have become increasingly popular, for instance.
“Powder Mills Park has a little downhill with a rope-tow, Swain Resort operates a rope tow at Northampton Park (in Brockport),” said Dipasquali. “It’s like $100 for a season pass, and you go and hit the rails and have fun all year long. There’s a lower cost of entry (to) spend time on the sport.”
Other organizations within the snowboarding industry are piloting concepts to create more access as well: Hoods to Woods out of New York City and The SHRED Foundation in Troy outside Albany share a similar mission to help local unsupported youth experience snowboarding.
“The goal is a kid falls in love with snowboarding and remembers that day for the rest of their life,” said Dusett. “They become not only a lifelong patron of the snowboarding industry, but also somebody that cares about the climate and our effects on it, because if they don’t take care of the planet, that mountain is not going to be a place they can snowboard anymore. The only way is up, and then the funnest way is down.”
todo DAILY
Full calendar of events online at roccitymag.com
MONDAY, DECEMBER 1
MUSIC
Eliza Niemi, Shep Treasure & Ali Lou
The Bug Jar, bugjar.com Canadian songwriter Eliza Niemi’s delicate voice sounds just as good over airy keyboard chords as acoustic guitar and the cello she’s mastered. She’ll come to Rochester for a fullband set with local support from indie band Shep Treasure and the bluegrass/ Americana stylings of Ali Lou. 7 p.m. doors, 8 p.m. show. Tickets $12.40$14.36. PATRICK HOSKEN
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 2
FILM
“Walkable USA”
The Little Theatre, reconnectrochester.org
There is a world in which humans are prioritized over cars. It exists in cities like Copenhagen, Edinburgh and Amsterdam — and it used to exist in America, too. The PBS film “Walkable USA” shows our evolution into a car-centric society, and what we lost in that process. This screening is presented as part of Reconnect Rochester’s Street Films series, with a live panel discussion to follow. 6:308:30 p.m. Free, with a reservation and $5-$25 donation suggested. PH
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3
MUSIC
Straight No Chaser
West Herr Auditorium Theatre, rbtl.org
This a cappella group formed in 1996, and in the intervening 30 years, has become something of an American treasure. This year, as is tradition, the nine members of Straight No Chaser have been summoned to get the country into the holiday spirit. They’ll aim for the rafters, both in that goal and their actual vocal abilities, at this 7:30 p.m. show. Tickets begin at $52. PH
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4
HOLIDAY
Park Avenue Holiday Open House
Park Avenue, park-avenue.org
Lights, ice sculptures, shopping and a visit with Santa; Park Ave is bringing the holiday spirit from 5 to 9 p.m. with all the hallmarks of the coziest season. Take a horse-drawn carriage ride down the decked-out strip, bop into local shops for a little gift browsing and grab some food or drinks from some of Rochester’s favorite bars and restaurants. Don’t miss the tree and menorah lighting ceremony or skip your visit and photo op with Santa. KELLEN BECK
HOLIDAY
“A Charlie Brown Christmas: Live on Stage”
Kodak Center, kodakcenter.com
Vince Guaraldi’s “A Charlie Brown Christmas” may be the best holiday album ever recorded. But part of the reason it sticks the landing is because of the emotional stakes of the story itself. To that end, the beloved tale of overcoming glumness during the most wonderful time of the year comes to the stage in a Broadway-style production, along with Guaraldi’s eternal music. Tickets $38+. PH
VISUAL ART
Decolonizing Photography History
Visual Studies Workshop, vsw.org
Qiana Mestrich began the blog Dodge & Burn to highlight photographers of color who otherwise receive disproportionately little recognition in the field. Photographer Carla J. Williams has also written histories of the medium, including “The Black Female Body: A Photographic History.” The two luminaries will speak at VSW’s theater for a conversation moderated by VSW’s assistant curator Hernease Davis. 7-9 p.m. Free, but RSVP is requested. PH
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5
HOLIDAY
Roc Holiday Village
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park, rocholidayvillage.com
The annual holiday favorite returns to downtown Rochester for 16 days of hot cocoa, ice skating, shopping and visits from Santa Claus himself. But the action doesn’t end when the sun sets (thankfully, as that happens
around 4:45 p.m.). There’s plenty of live music, both indoor and outdoor bars and cozy igloos to stay warm — and thoroughly entertained. General admission is free, but special events like story times are ticketed. PH
THEATER “Persuasion”
28 Lawn St., thecompanytheatreroc.org
In celebration of Jane Austen’s 250th birthday, the Company Theatre presents a stage adaptation of her 1817 novel “Persuasion” at the group’s new home at 28 Lawn St., directed by Carl Del Buono. The players have helpfully offered a vibe check for the show, which is “Regencystyle romance.” They’ve handily also suggested that you bring your own “deep, deep yearning.” Don’t have to tell me twice! Opening night curtain rises at 7:30 p.m. $30. PH
MUSIC
Cheap Kids
Skylark Lounge, theskylarklounge.com Rochester band Cheap Kids are calling it quits. There’s no bad blood, as the group stressed on social media, but “lots of love and respect for our individual needs and futures.” But before the end, the power trio have lined up this farewell gig featuring special guests Pluck and Butch Cassidy and the Lilac Femmes. The $10 show kicks off at 9 p.m., with doors at 8. PH
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 6
FILM
“Home Alone” with Macaulay Culkin
West Herr Auditorium Theatre, rbtl.org
You’ve gotta hand it to Macaulay Culkin: he’s firmly in on the joke. He wasn’t always, especially after becoming a global celebrity before puberty and, as a teen, running away from his “Home Alone” success. That might’ve made him bitter, and maybe it did for a while. But by all accounts, he’s doing well these days — game enough for a light-hearted, fun Q&A and a screening of his most famous movie. Be there before 7 p.m. or be a filthy animal. Tickets $62. PH
A Celebration of Hannukah
Monday, December 8 at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV
Anthony Williams’ Urban Nutcracker
Tuesday, December 9 at 4 p.m. on WXXI-TV
Christmas with Madrigalia 2025
Thursday, December 11 at 3 p.m. on WXXI Classical
Cultural Expressions: Kwanzaa
Friday, December 26 at 10 p.m. on WXXI-TV
Seven Principles of Kwanzaa
Friday, December 26Thursday, January 1 at 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. on WXXI Classical
Wild Kratts: A Creature Christmas
Friday, December 26 at 5:30 p.m. on WXXI-KIDS
HOLIDAY SPECIALS TO BRIGHTEN UP YOUR SEASON
Sonic Seasonings Classics
Tuesday, December 23 at 10 p.m. on The Route A Rochester Festival of Lessons and Carols 2025 Wed., December 24 at 10 p.m. on WXXI Classical
Rosie Rules “Christmas in Mexico” Sunday, December 14 at 12 p.m. on WXXI-KIDS
Hanukkah Lights 2025
Sunday, December 14 at 9 p.m. on WXXI News
The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About Christmas Monday, December 15 at 12 p.m. on WXXI-TV
Mary Berry’s Highland Christmas Monday, December 22 at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV
12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
TOP TV PICKS FOR DECEMBER
Mister Rogers:
It’s You I Like
Sunday, December 7 at 3 p.m. on WXXI-TV
Join host Michael Keaton to celebrate "Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood," the pioneering children's series that premiered nationally 50 years ago. Keaton worked as a stagehand and made appearances on the series in the 1970s. Judd Apatow, Joyce DiDonato, Whoopi Goldberg, Chris Kratt, John Lithgow, YoYo Ma and son Nicholas Ma reveal their favorite memories from the series.
American Masters “Starring Dick Van Dyke
Friday, December 12 at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV
Ahead of his 100th birthday, celebrate the life and career of legendary actor Dick Van Dyke. Known for iconic roles in Mary Poppins, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and his classic CBS sitcom, he has delighted audiences on screen and stage for eight decades.
Binge the latest episodes of all your favorite PBS shows on PBS Passport. Visit WXXI.org/passport
Kitchen Curious with Vivan Howard
Saturdays at 1 p.m., beginning December 13
Vivian Howard returns to public television with an all-new, one-ofa-kind food variety show that unpacks the everyday questions we confront when we find ourselves in the kitchen. With her expertise as a chef, a farmer’s daughter’s rural sensibility, and a mom's nononsense approach, Vivian serves up answers to your burning kitchen questions—all with a generous side of humor.
Foo Fighters — Live at Wembley Stadium
Saturday, December 20 at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV
Filmed over two sold-out nights at England’s largest arena, this special features classic Foo Fighters hits, from “Everlong” to “The Pretender,” plus special guest appearances by Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones of Led Zeppelin.
To learn more about WXXI programs, special events, and more follow @WXXIRochester on social media.
WXXI HAS
WXXI-TV brings you three specials that “come together” to share the fanaticism surrounding the English rock band.
Unity & Hope: The Pride of the HBC
Deconstructing the Beatles
Tuesday, December 2 at 9:30 p.m. on WXXI-TV
Acclaimed "Beatle-ologist" Scott Freiman guides you, step by step, on an educational journey through several of The Beatles’ milestone albums and the fascinating stories that accompanied them. No matter how much you know about the Beatles, there's something new here for you. Repeats 12/7 at 10:30 p.m.
Photo courtesy of PBS
Fab Four: The Ultimate Beatles Tribute
Friday, December 5 at 5 p.m. on WXXI-TV
The HBCU Football Classic ushered in a tide of Black excellence and opportunity for Rochester's youth.
With uncanny, note-for-note live renditions of the Beatles' classics, the Fab Four will make you think you are back in time rockin' with John, Paul, George, and Ringo! When you tune in you’ll learn how to score tickets to see the Fab Four this March at Kodak Center. Repeats 12/6 at 3:30 p.m. & 12/7 at 12 Midnight. Let it snow!
John & Yoko:
Above Us Only the Sky
Monday, December 8 at 4 p.m.
In memory of John Lennon, on the 45th anniversary of his death, WXXI presents this special that explores John and Yoko’s art, activism, politics, and music with Yoko, Lennon’s son Julian, and others who knew the couple best, along with archival footage, audio, and photos.
Photo courtesy of PBS
Though the weather outside is frightful, you can stream hundreds of your favorite PBS shows from the comfort of your cozy chair!
Passport on the PBS App is all you need to watch the programs when you want, where you want! It’s so delightful. GET THE PBS APP!
WXXI Classical Hosts’ Holiday Music Favs
Brenda Tremblay
Weekday Morning Host
When I get up at 4:00 a.m., the world is pretty quiet. I scan the roadsides for restless creatures as I drive to the WXXI studios. I imagine other people waking up. Nurses on their way to work. Baristas grinding fresh coffee. Here we are, alive in this world together. You are reading these words and breathing. Amazing. For me, the holiday song “Walking in the Air” by Howard Blake captures this miracle. Take a listen.
Steve Johnson
Weekday
Midday Host
I have fond memories of hearing Julie Andrews sing “Deck The Halls” in a 1966 arrangement for voice and orchestra by Andre Previn. It was on the 1985 album A Christmas Treasury of Classics from Avon that my grandmother gave my mother at some point, and that quickly became a staple of our family’s Christmas celebrations. It has some heroic horn solos, impressively technical string passages, and to top it all off, Dame Julie Andrews!
Mona Seghatoleslami
Music Director and
Weekday Afternoon Host
We asked our WXXI Classical Music Hosts to share their favorite classical holiday songs and why it’s their favorite. Here’s what they shared. To read more about their favorites and for a complete list of holiday specials on WXXI Classical, visit WXXIClassical.org.
John Andres
Sunday Morning Host
There are many wonderful Christmas pieces to enjoy, both new and old. My favorite is “Joy to the World,” an English hymn composed by Isaac Watts in 1719 and arranged by Lowell Mason in 1848, inspired by Handel’s music and Psalm 98. Since the early 1900s, it’s been the most-published Christmas carol in North America. I love its melody, lyrics, and joyful message celebrating heaven, nature, and love. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
Joshua Bassette
Sunday Afternoon Host
One of my favorite Christmas Carols is "In the Bleak Midwinter" with text by Rossetti and music by Holst. I love the way it paints a winter scene in the first verse, outlines the Christmas story throughout the middle, and then ends with a simple call to love. Its unadorned melody and rich harmonies paint a beautiful image of the holidays. My honorable mentions would be "Carol of the Bells, Lo How a Rose E'er Blooming , and What Sweeter Music" by John Rutter.
Marianne Carberry
Saturday Afternoon Host
“The minor chord, the major lift.” Songs in minor keys (with the lowered third degree of the scale) are often on the sadder or more mysterious side. There are some really wonderful minor-key Christmas Carols! My favorite ones feature a sudden brightness at the end - a last-minute major chord, called the “Picardy Third.” Two very different songs that I love that feature this transformation are "The Coventry Carol" (“Lully, Lullay”) and “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen.” Listen, and you’ll hear what I mean! Bonus track: "Ocho Kandelikas” by Flory Jagoda is a top recommendation for your Hanukkah playlist.
Three favorites which come to mind for me are Irving Berlin's "White Christmas," John Rutter's "Candlelight Carol," and Gustav Holst's "In The Bleak Midwinter." All three carols for me capture the quiet, poignancy, and nostalgia that is Christmas.
Hannah's Holiday Playlist
The Route Music Director and Afternoon Host
Hannah Maier has curated a holiday playlist featuring here favorites from the season, which she will playing on her show through December, weekdays from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on The Route (FM 88.5 in Rochester + FM 90.1 in Ithaca). You can also listen online at TheRoute.org
Father Christmas
Sleigh Ride
The Ventures
Merry Christmas, Baby
Beach Boys
(let’s be honest, this whole album is fire)
Alice’s Restaurant
Arlo Guthrie
Santa’s Beard
They Might Be Giants
Santa Looked A Lot Like Daddy
Buck Owens
Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want To Fight Tonight With You)
Ramones
Rockin’ Around
The Christmas Tree
Brenda Lee
Hey Skinny Santa
JD McPherson
8 days of Hanukkah
Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings
Blue Christmas
Elvis Presley
Wonderful Christmastime
Paul McCartney
DEC. 4 AT 7 P.M.
Holiday Movies
Check thelittle.org for full listing of holiday events and screenings
The Green Knight
(FOLLOWED BY A Q&A)
Christmas plays a pivotal role in David Lowery’s 2021 Arthurian legend film. The plot? Basically, it’s everybody lusting after Dev Patel. Who can blame them?
FRIDAY, DEC. 12 AT 7:30 P.M.
The Preacher’s Wife
(PROJECTED ON 35MM FILM)
A cleric begins to doubt himself and is visited by an angel. A remake with gospel music of the `The Bishop's Wife' with Whitney Houston, Denzel Washington, and directed by Penny Marshall.
SATURDAY, DEC. 13 AT 8 P.M.
Gremlins
Sometimes you just need to see the classics on the big screen!
MULTIPLE DATES IN DECEMBER
The Baltimorons
A newly sober man's Christmas Eve dental emergency leads to an unexpected romance with his older dentist as they explore Baltimore together.
One Take:
The Short List 2025
Thursday, December 11 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, December 13 at 3pm.
Locally-produced short documentary films from Markus Essien, Clara Riedlinger, Mark Palms, Makai Yilanes, Abigail Singer Horn, Claire Beseler, Nastaran Bagheri, and TK James.
DEC. 18 AND 20
The Holiday
(CRAFT NIGHT AND TRADITIONAL SCREENINGS)
Two women, one American and one British, swap homes at Christmastime following bad breakups. Each woman finds romance with a local man but realizes that the imminent return home may end the relationship.
DEC. 19 AND DEC. 22 (BOTH AT 7:30 P.M.)
The Muppets
Christmas Carol
A retelling of the classic Dickens tale of Ebenezer Scrooge, with The Muppets! It’s a classic, it’s a delight, you will have zero regrets seeing this one on the big screen.
SATURDAY, DEC. 20
Die Hard 2
(PIE HARD POP-UP)
John McClane is back and so is The Little’s pie pop-up and screening with Crust Pie Co. Themed pies and a Christmas action flick — what else do you need?
SUNDAY, DEC. 21 AT 7 P.M.
Brazil
(DIRECTOR’S CUT) (PROJECTED ON 35MM FILM)
Deck the halls, with glorious weirdness! A bureaucrat in a dystopic society becomes an enemy of the state as he pursues the woman of his dreams. From Terry Gilliam.
New Movies
Full lineup of December films at thelittle.org
Hamnet (Opens Dec. 5)
The powerful story of love and loss that inspired the creation of Shakespeare’s timeless masterpiece, Hamlet. From Oscar winning writer/director Chloé Zhao. Starring Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal. The cry index: Make sure tissues are plentiful for this one!
Marty Supreme (Opens Dec. 25)
In the 1950s, young Marty Mauser (Oscar-nominee Timothée Chalamet) pursues his dream of becoming a champion table-tennis player. Directed by Josh Safdie.
FESTIVAL
It’s a Wonderful Life in the South Wedge Holiday
Festival
The South Wedge neighborhood, southwedge.com
Who says festival season ends when the weather gets cold? The South Wedge’s business association puts on the neighborhood’s beloved holiday celebration from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on South Avenue, complete with arts and crafts, live music and plenty of grub from the best local spots. This year, there’s a mitten drive in partnership with the Center for Youth Services; donations can be dropped off at Tru Yoga at 683 South Ave. PH
ART
Visual Voices with G. Peter Jemison
Flower City Arts Center, flowercityarts.org
Ceramic artist G. Peter Jemison will offer both insight and a hands-on demo during this artist talk from 2-3 p.m. in the center’s Sunken Room Gallery. But Jemison, a widely known artist whose work has been shown internationally, is just at home working with paint and video formats, as well as cross-pollinating into mixed media. As his bio points out, “his art embodies Orenda, the traditional Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) belief that every living thing and part of creation contains a spiritual force.” ASL interpretation will be provided. PH
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 7
HOLIDAY
Día de las Velitas
International Plaza, ibero.org
Celebrate the start of the Christmas season with Día de las Velitas (Day of the Little Candles) — a beautiful Colombian tradition that marks the beginning of the holiday spirit
— at the International Plaza, 828 N. Clinton Ave. Bring a dish to share, light a candle and enjoy an afternoon filled with warmth, music and community togetherness from 1-5 p.m. All ages are welcome; free to attend.
LEAH STACY
HOLIDAY
Christmas Makers Market
Central Rock Gym, centralrockgym.com
In the lead-up to the holidays, the craft-centric pop-ups increase. But they’ll be gone before you know, so don’t miss this cohort of crocheted goods, tie-dyed clothes, wood burnings and other art and jewelry. The market runs from 12-3 p.m. at Central Rock Gym, 725 Averill Ave. PH
HOLIDAY/MUSIC
Holiday Art and Record Fair
Radio Social, flourpailkids.com
For four hours on a Sunday, Radio Social once again turns into a record store. Really, the Holiday Art and Record Fair allows the space to transform into 40 different shops — as that’s how many vendors (both music and art) have signed on to participate. Food and drinks are available. From 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. Free entry. PH
MONDAY, DECEMBER 8
MUSIC
Bitchin’ Bajas
Skylark Lounge, theskylarklounge.com
The kaleidoscopic Chicago trio Bitchin Bajas create electronic soundscapes that sound as cozy — and naturalistic — as the forest moon of Endor. Part of this is thanks to their blend of organic instruments (shakers, saxophones) and synthesizers. The result, like on recent single “Skylarking,” is stunning, making the members of this Drag City favorite band a steady presence and a mustsee. Doors at 7 p.m., music at 8. $16 advance, $20 at the door. PH
MUSIC
“A Very Merry Classic Christmas”
The Theater at Innovation Square, theaterais.thundertix.com
Brooklyn-born country artist, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jessica Lynn brings her ninth annual Christmas show to Rochester as part of a 16-city tour this season. Each year, Lynn pairs her passion for music with her commitment to giving back through a partnership with Toys for Tots, spearheading one of the largest drives of the season, with more than $100K in toys donated. The show is family friendly and open to all ages; tickets start at $43. LS
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 9
MUSIC
The Format
Montage Music Hall, afterdarkpresents. com/events
“All the girls pose the same for pictures / All the boys have the same girls’ hair.” This line from The Format’s 2006 “She Doesn’t Get It” neatly sums up the experience of being young and online in the mid-2000s. It
will forever be an anthem, something that propels the beloved Arizona duo back into the spotlight from time to time. Friends, this is one of those times. The Format (Nate Ruess and Sam Means) performs in Rochester for this special acoustic show that is, understandably, already sold out. But diligent music fans know that might not mean they’re shut out. Not yet anyway. 8 p.m. 16+. PH
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10
FILM
“It’s a Wonderful Life”
Dryden Theatre, eastman.org/dryden-theatre
One of the greatest, most inspirational films in American history, “It’s a Wonderful Life” stands as a herald of the holiday season. Legendary stammerer Jimmy Stewart stars as town hero George Bailey, who gives up so much of himself and his wealth to support his community (inspired by Seneca Falls just down I-90), only to be met with a string of bad luck that sends him spiraling. Enter an angel, a little fantastical reflection on the past and a heartwarming proclamation on life itself. The film is showing on 35mm film at 7:30 p.m., with a 2 p.m. matinee on December 13. Tickets are $12. KB
FILM
“9 to 5”
The Little Theatre, thelittle.org
Before I watched “9 to 5,” I knew it as “that one movie with Dolly Parton.” Having seen it, I can amend my description to “that outrageous fever dream of a movie that is somehow whimsical, silly and a commentary on gender and class issues.” Yes, “9 to 5” contains multitudes. This special screening is presented in conjunction with the Rochester chapter of Parton’s Imagination Library, in celebration of its 100,000th book. Movie’s at 7 p.m. PH
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11
THEATER
“The Servant of Two Masters”
MuCCC, facebook.com/ theopenroadtheatre
Carlo Goldoni’s 1746 comedic tale of identity and happenstance gets a faithful recreation from the Open Road Theatre. Though the period piece features historical costumes, the zaniness of the text brims with life on stage at MuCCC, thanks to the narrative, which concerns the character Truffaldino being hired by, you guessed it, two different masters. 7:30 p.m. PH
ART
Open Studio with Jackie Liu
Visual Studies Workshop, vsw.org
In 2024, visual artist Jackie Liu told CITY that her art is directly inspired by how she “spent way too much time on the computer as a kid, probably an unhealthy amount of time.” That has translated to compelling digital work, including web games, interface designs and comics. She shares some of her process in this session from 6-8 p.m. PH
THEATER
“Home for the Holidays with the Calamari Sisters”
OFC Creations, ofccreations.com
The Calamari Sisters, billed as “your favorite public-access cable TV stars,” come to Rochester for a Christmas stage experience that’s equal parts cooking special and drag-show story time, with some singing and dancing thrown in the mix as well. Performances through December 14.
PH
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12
MUSIC
“Heroes: A Video Game Symphony”
Kodak Center, kodakcenter.com
The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra regularly performs live-tofilm concerts for blockbusters like the Harry Potter movies. To expand its universe, the RPO has gone into the gaming realm. As the orchestra plays, high-definition sequences of games like “Final Fantasy,” “Assassin’s Creed,” “World of Warcraft,” “Metal Gear Solid” and more play above them, creating a unique multimedia experience that’s as cinematic as anything else the group has ever done. 7:30 p.m. $61+. PH
MULTIDISCIPLINARY Yuletide in the Country
Genesee Country Village & Museum, gcv.org
Step into Christmas Past during this immersive tour of a 19th-century candle-lit village. You’ll follow Joy Nichols, a hardworking servant with a heart of gold, as she runs errands on Christmas Eve in 1870. The experience promises all-new vignettes, surprises and a bit of mischief as you learn about holiday traditions of old. Tickets $27+ (purchase in advance); tour times vary through December 20. A yuletide buffet dinner can be added for a separate fee. MEGAN MACK
SEASONALLY INSPIRED MODERN COMFORT FOOD
LUNCH & DINNER
THURSDAY-SATURDAY
11:30am-10:00pm
SUNDAY & MONDAY 4:00pm-9:00pm
BRUNCH
SUNDAY & MONDAY
11:00am-2:45pm
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 13
ART
Wintercraft 2025
Flower City Arts Center, flowercityarts.org Still on the hunt for holiday gifts? Vendors will be in house from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. to show off and sell their handcrafted items, but that’s only part of this special event. The Flower City Arts Center building is a historic firehouse, so there will be tours as well as arts and crafts activities for kids to take part in. Those just might end up as gifts, too. PH
EVENT SPACE AVAILABLE
Book your special gathering with us!
819 S. Clinton Ave • 585-978-7237 • crisprochester.com
MUSIC
JD
McPherson
Temple Theater, abilenebarandlounge.com
How do you write original holiday songs when the archives are loaded with the work of Darlene Love, Mariah Carey and Vince Guaraldi? JD McPherson was up to the challenge in 2018 when he released the album “Socks,” a slate of originals like the funny and swinging title track about the perils of receiving practical gifts instead of exciting ones. He’s taking it on the road for the holiday-themed “Socks: A Rock ‘n Roll Christmas Tour,” including this 8 p.m. stop in Rochester. $30 advance, $35 day of show. PH
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 14
MUSIC
Rochester Tuba Christmas
Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre, rochestertubachristmas.org
The name pretty much says it all. One hundred tuba and euphonium players will take to the stage of Kodak Hall for a rumbling rendition of classic Christmas carols. The audience gets a role too: singing along is not just welcome, but encouraged. Admission is free and the hall opens at 2:15 p.m. The tubas begin their bellowing
at 3 p.m. There’s also a livestream where you’ll be able to watch the performance.
JEREMY MOULE
HOLIDAY
Holidays at the Market
Rochester Public Market, cityofrochester.gov/holidaysatmarket
The seasonal shopping favorite and family tradition returns to 280 N. Union St. from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Nov. 30, Dec. 7 and Dec. 14, with a special evening variation 6-9 p.m. on Thurs., Dec. 18. The one-stop shopping popup features local vendors hawking fresh-cut Christmas trees and wreaths, handcrafted items, specialty foods and drinks, clothing and jewelry as well as visits with Santa and carriage rides. All ages welcome; free entry. LS
MONDAY, DECEMBER 15
RECREATION
Strangebird Run Club
Strangebird Brewery, strangebirdbeer. com/events
Running, when done properly, can be an incredibly cathartic experience. The folks at Strangebird host a free run club every Monday at 6 p.m. that welcomes all ages and all paces. Hitting the pavement with a pair of running sneakers could be the perfect way to clear your head and
shake yourself out of any holiday blues. Grabbing a beer after certainly wouldn’t hurt either. Just make sure you bring some high-visibility gear and a headlamp; it’s getting dark early out there. KB
EDUCATION
The History of the Christmas Card
The Strong National Museum of Play, museumofplay.org
When did you send your first Christmas card? Historians say the first Christmas card ever sent was in 1843 in England. Associate curator Natalie Rudd shares the origin story and the evolution of this holiday tradition during this special presentation. It’s part of the Museum Mondays for Seniors program. 11 a.m.; tickets are $17 for ages 55+. The fee includes admission to the museum and Dancing Wings Butterfly Garden. MM
Three blues musicians with three distinct takes on the blues lead this special show. Electric powerhouse Samantha Fish infuses country and retro soul into her music, while Cedric Burnside’s playing burns with Delta influences; Jon Spencer’s playing, meanwhile, is rooted in punk and experimentation. All three take the stage at Temple Theater for this 7 p.m. show. $54+. PH
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17
MUSIC
CMD
Lovin’ Cup, lovincup.com
On its latest album, jazz trio CMD — Casey Filiaci, Mark Terranova and Dave Cohen — recruited guest vocalists and other musicians to help round out the holiday compositions. That includes saxophonist John Viavattine and pedal steel player Kurt Johnson. The result is “Decembersongs,” a must-listen for these snowy nights. The crew celebrates the new achievement with an album release show befitting the description on its cover: “yuletide tales of joy and longing.” Music’s at 8 p.m. Tickets $10.
PH
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18
COMEDY
“Holiday Hams”
Comedy @ the Carlson, carlsoncomedy.com
Drag Me to the Stage presents a holiday-themed 21+ show with a superstar lineup. Favorites Aggy Dune, Darienne Lake, Ambrosia Salad and Mrs. Kasha Davis will anchor this night of comedy, singing, impersonation and, naturally, plenty of “sleighing.” Tickets $34. PH
MUSIC
Aaron DeRuyter & The Confluence
Abilene Bar & Lounge, abilenebarandlounge.com
Americana musician Aaron DeRuyter’s output can be warm and gentle, but there’s a gritty darkness underpinning the songs that seems to come to the fore in a live setting. Abilene may be the perfect place to see this textured take on folky alt-country, when Aaron DeRuyter’s band The Confluence (featuring CITY’s Ryan Williamson on the drums) takes the stage at 7:30 p.m. $10 cover. PH
cookies
together bring us
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19
MUSIC
Joy 2 The World
Anthology, joy2the.world
They’ve done it again. The local heroes in Joywave are spreading holiday cheer the best way they know how: by throwing another two-nighter at Anthology. The second annual Joy 2 The World celebration runs December 19-20 with special guests and precedes a special pop-up “Superstore.” Tickets for the 8 p.m. shows begin at $51.08.
PH
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20
MUSIC
Ugly Christmas Sweater Silent Disco
Montage Music Hall, se2.events
It’s time to dig out your least flattering holiday sweater: there’s a Christmasthemed silent disco going down at Montage Music Hall downtown. Revelers each get a pair of headphones and can pick between three DJs for a choose-your-own boogie down. Getting too hot in your chunky sweater? Take the headphones off and enjoy the sights of the bizarre silent dance party unfolding around you. The 21+ disco runs from 8 p.m. to midnight, and tickets are $20. KB
THEATER
“Rumors”
Blackfriars Theatre, blackfriars.org/ rumors
“Rumors,” Neil Simon’s farce about a couple’s doomed 10th wedding anniversary, premiered 11 years after Fleetwood Mac’s blockbuster album of the same name and 16 years before Lindsay Lohan’s debut solo single, also of the same name. What do all three have in common? The eternal wisdom that games of telephone never yield the full truth. Through December 28. 2 p.m. matinee. $20-$40. PH
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 21
CULTURE
Coffee with Joywave
The Little Theatre, joy2the.world Join Rochester’s favorite millennial band at Rochester’s favorite independent cinema for an afternoon screening of their complete music video catalog and a moderated conversation with Dan, Paul and Joey. Tickets available online. LS
FOOD + BEV
Mimosa Fest
Photo City Music Hall, photocitymusichall.com
The mimosa, a cocktail of orange juice and champagne, is essentially interchangeable with the Buck’s Fizz, which has the same ingredients. The difference? One is named for a pretty flower, and the other took its moniker from a London gentlemen’s club. Whatever you call ‘em, they get merrymakers where they need to go. Celebrate with other boozy brunch fans at this 21+ shindig that kicks off at 12 p.m. Tickets from $14.42. PH
MONDAY, DECEMBER 22
ART
Holiday Show
Image City Photography Gallery, imagecityphotographygallery.com
As Image City celebrates its 20th year, the gallery’s holiday show pulls together work from nearly a dozen photographers to showcase the colorful, the wintry and the bodily. The accessible gallery has no admission fee and is open Mondays throughout December, 12-6 p.m., for more chances to see the show. PH
Two mesmerizing organs are contained inside Christ Church on East Avenue, the Craighead-Saunders Organ (a reconstruction of an Italian organ dating to 1776) and the Hook & Hastings Organ (with original pipes from the 19th century). They provide the sound of these weekly lunchtime concerts starting at 12:10 p.m. every Tuesday. Free to all. PH
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 24
THEATER
“A Christmas Carol”
Geva Theatre, gevatheatre.org
In 2019, Tim Robinson and Zach Kanin gave us a new vision of Scrooge, one called to save the world from a dystopian future of skeleton overlords. Geva’s presentation of Charles Dickens’ classic tale, by contrast, hews close to the original tale, but the thematic bones are the same. The lesson? As Josh Allen might say, “Be good, do good, God bless (and go Bills).” We could all use some reminding this holiday season. Through December 28 on the Wilson Stage. Christmas Eve matinee at noon. PH
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 25
FOOD + BEV
Restaurants
around town
Various locations
Christmas brings two scenarios. The first involves staying in, cozily cooking a delicious meal for yourself and maybe some people you love. That requires a bit of forethought, ingredients-wise. Plan B: visit one of the many eateries around Rochester that remain open for both dining in and takeout meals on the holiday. Khong Thai Cuisine and Han Noodle Bar are good places to start. Ditto Fox’s Deli, Zemeta and Amaya Indian. Always check with the restaurants first to make sure they’re operating. PH
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 26
COMEDY
Madelein Murphy
Comedy @ the Carlson, carlsoncomedy.com
Comedian Madelein Murphy lived in the Neighborhood of the Arts for half of her 20s, honing her craft doing stand-up at The Comedy Club in Webster and reveling in the inclusive scene. Looking for a bigger market, she relocated to New Jersey, though she found “a very dude-centric” comedy scene. No matter — she told CITY earlier this year that it still hits for hometown shows: “My mom can invite all of her various friends from the library where she works, and the church, and things like that,” she said. Murphy’s set in the Rickles Room is at 7 p.m. Tickets are $23. PH
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 27
MUSIC
Funkyard Brass Band
Skylark Lounge, theskylarklounge.com
A seven-piece brass band? In this economy? Believe it — and the funk stylings of popular tunes is a nice bonus. Inspired by the musical spirit of New Orleans, FBB takes the stage at Skylark for this 21+ show at 9 p.m. Tickets are $10. PH
MUSIC
King Buffalo
Radio Social, radio-social.com
The acclaimed psychedelic trio — bass, drums and guitar — King Buffalo returns for their first local show since 2018; Rochester-based rockers Leus Zeus and Overhand Sam open the night. Both Radio’s bars will be slinging drinks and the Shortwave counter will be open for snacks. Music at 8 p.m.; tickets are $10 advance, $15 at the door. 21+ only. LS
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 28
THEATER
“Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical”
OFC Creations, ofccreations.com
Garrett Clayton, from Disney’s “Teen Beach Movie” and NBC’s “Hairspray Live!,” dons the green makeup for his take on the holiday season’s most diabolical rapscallion, The Grinch. The show runs through January 4, with matinees and evening performances. Appropriate for all ages, but no children under 5 are permitted. PH
WRESTLING
WWE Live Holiday Tour
Blue Cross Arena, bluecrossarena.com Look, I haven’t kept up with Sports Entertainment in some time. Most of the guys I watched are now dead, primarily from preventable causes exacerbated by the relentless tumult of the industry. But there’s no denying that, even several decades past its creative peak, this whole thing is still a spectacle. And when that spectacle comes to town, it’s hard to keep your eyes off of it. 7 p.m. Tickets start at $56 and go to $900+. PH
MONDAY, DECEMBER 29
FAMILY
Marble Speedway
The Strong National Museum of Play, museumofplay.org
The Strong Museum’s latest interactive exhibit, Marble Speedway, must be the most exciting thing that’s happened in the world of marbles for a very long time. In addition to hosting the largest hand-made glass marble in the world and a bunch of marble-related games, the museum installed a 350-foot giant marble track built for competitive races. Take the kids out of the house during winter break and let them get their ya-yas out. The Strong Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., or 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Admission is $25+. KB
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 30
MUSIC
Holiday Laser
Strasenburgh Planetarium, rmsc.org Strap in for a holiday-themed sensory takeover at the Rochester Museum and Science Center’s Strasenburgh Planetarium. A 45-minute setlist of wintery and Christmasy songs is accompanied by colorful lasers and visuals on the planetarium dome through January 4. Tunes include Antonio Vivaldi’s “Winter” violin concerto, Elvis Presley’s “Blue Christmas” and Mannheim Steamroller’s bombastic rendition of “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen.” Tickets are $11+. KB
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31
MUSIC
Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad
Anthology, anthologylive.com
Send 2025 on its way — and give it a jam-tastic voyage — with a co-headlining gig from local favorites Giant Panda and Dirty Blanket. The latter will have Chris Hollywood English on deck, and the show will be a true family affair with special guest Flying Object. No better way to ring in the new year than with ringing ears. Music’s at 8 p.m. Tickets from $36.86. PH
THEATER
Capitol Fools
Nazareth University, naz.edu Ring in the new year with satire... where no politician is safe! Wherever you fall on the political spectrum, there’s likely one thing on which we can all agree: that 2025 was ripe with political news. Former members of the acclaimed Capitol Steps return as the Capitol Fools to poke fun at all things political. Come for the costume changes and impressions, stay for the song spoofs and wordplay. 2-3:30 p.m. and 6-7:30 p.m. Tickets $45+. MM
THURSDAY, JANUARY 1
FAMILY
Disney on Ice Presents: Frozen & Encanto
Blue Cross Arena, bluecrossarena.com
“Frozen” as an ice-capade performance makes perfect sense: Elsa is the Snow Queen, after all. “Encanto,” though, primarily takes place in Colombia, a decidedly less snowy climate. This is where the excitement of Disney on Ice shines, in recasting beloved tales as feats of dazzling speed and movement. Shows at various times through January 4, starting at 4 p.m. Tickets $30+. PH
FRIDAY, JANUARY 2
ART
Anderson Arts First Friday
Anderson Arts Building Studio 312, andersonalleyartists.com
Studio 312 opens up to the public for free every first Friday of the month, featuring an array of art from a handful of local artists to peruse and purchase. Paintings, watercolors, handmade pottery, stained glass and jewelry (to name a few) will be on display. The showcase starts at 6 p.m. and is a unique opportunity for the public to check out the Anderson Arts Building and meet some local creatives. KB
SATURDAY, JANUARY 3
ART
Frontiers of Impressionism
Memorial Art Gallery, mag.rochester. edu/exhibitions/frontiers-ofimpressionism
Impressionist painting rose out of France in the 19th century, spreading across Europe and the United States as the fresh styles of artists like Claude Monet gained traction. The Memorial Art Gallery’s exhibition Frontiers of Impressionism displays 52 paintings from more than 30 of the art movement’s most impactful pioneers, including Monet, Mary Cassatt and Pierre-Auguste Renoir. The exhibition is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays until March 1. Museum admission is $20. KB
COMMUNITY
CITY's Best of Rochester Party + Awards Show
Anthology, roccitymag.com
For the first time since 1971, CITY's annual Best Of Rochester Awards will take to the stage. Throw on your Saturday look and catwalk the red carpet at Anthology, 336 East Ave., for a big ol’ variety-style awards show on Saturday, January 3. From 6-10 p.m., enjoy snacks, drinks, HypeBooth photo ops, vendor booths, merch and more from CITY/WXXI, DJ tunes and, of course: our January issue with ALL the winners, hot off the press! Emcee Mike “on the mic” McGinnis will be your guide for the evening alongside members of the CITY team and a few surprise guests. The full awards show, featuring local performances and unveiling 130+ Best Of Rochester winners, will begin at 7 p.m. This year’s event is 18+ only; admission is $15 and includes a drink ticket (zero proof options available).
LS
SUNDAY, JANUARY 4
ART
Dollhouses Unveiled
The Strong National Museum of Play, museumofplay.org
Dozens of dollhouses dating as far back as 1837 are on display at the Museum of Play, from the classic pentagonal Barbie Dream House of the late 1970s to an ornate Victorian mansion made in Germany in the 1890s. Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The exhibit runs until January 4 and admission is $25+. KB
FOOD + BEV
Food Fight
Jackrabbit Club, jackrabbitclub.events
It’s a chef vs. chef throwdown at Jackrabbit Club. The second season of Food Fight, Rochester’s own culinary competition, reaches the end of the quarterfinals with chefs Brian Arliss of Carnegie Cellars and Marko Kelly of Shell going toe-to-toe in a “Chopped”style showdown. Both chefs receive the same ingredients and must whip up dishes on the fly to impress a trio of local judges who vote for a winner to progress to the next round. DJ Chreath sets the soundtrack for the night, and the bar is open. To watch the action, admission is a donation of canned goods or dry goods for Marion Food Pantry. KB
CROSSWORD PUZZLE ANSWERS
PUZZLE ON PAGE 58. NO PEEKING!
Something for everyone
BY VERONICA VOLK VVOLK@WXXI.ORG
Kristi Phillips and Richelle Acker were in a familiar stage of adult sisterhood: Phillips was a new mom stressed about going back to work. Acker was completely burnt out from her corporate job. They were living separate lives in cities far apart, missing each other and feeling isolated.
Then last year, on a trip home for the holidays, they made a decision that terrified them as much as it thrilled them: they were going to open a play café.
“We knew right from the start that we wanted it to be something that catered to the kids and the parents,” Phillips said.
Fast-forward to 2025, and Play-A-Latte in Webster has been open for almost three months.
The aesthetic of Play-A-Latte is pure whimsy, with pastel walls and funky furniture; the sisters have a big pink Christmas tree in their front window covered in sparkling donut-shaped ornaments. On one side, a café serves specialty lattes and pastries. Just through the knee-high gate, a custom-built playroom designed like a tiny town square — doctor’s office, firehouse, classroom — beckons children to explore.
It’s a two-for-one: kids run free
Three new indoor playgrounds feature inclusion, community and caffeine.
while parents get caffeine and a place to sit with other adults.
“We kind of wanted it to be somewhere where they could share those experiences, have a play date, meet up with some friends and have your kids play together while you catch up,” said Acker.
Indoor play places can be a tough business with high startup costs, high overhead and high snot levels. But these indoor playgrounds are essential in Rochester, a town where winter lasts roughly half the year.
“It can be lonely, especially if you’re a new parent,” Acker said.
A handful of new local spots like Play-A-Latte are trying to stand out by creating spaces that aren’t just for kids, but for whole families — spanning ages, needs and abilities. The places that stand out aren’t surviving on necessity alone. They’re aiming for community. They’re offering connection.
“I’ve learned a lot of different parenting techniques from other parents that come in,” Phillips said. “We all kind of rely on each other.”
At Funtastic Adventure Park in Eastview Mall, co-owner Pouya Seifzadeh’s inspiration is close to home: his son.
The brand new facility has trampolines, obstacle courses and a gel blaster arena (somewhere between paintball and laser tag). But unlike many high-adrenaline parks, they’ve intentionally woven in zones for younger kids, including a ball pit and toddlerfriendly play areas.
Toddlers get their own play areas, older kids can bounce and blast and parents can see everything from one central vantage point, a small-yet-crucial detail for anyone
“We understand parents might have younger children that would like to have some form of entertainment,” Seifzadeh said.
He and his wife, Isar Kiani, already own Ontario Play Café in Henrietta and Bounce Hopper in Pittsford, two spaces that cater to littles. Funtastic was their attempt to build something that could grow with their family and everyone else’s.
Their pitch is simple: “We are very age inclusive, family oriented.”
“We’re very happy that (our son) liked this,” Seifzadeh said. “We hope that this is going to keep him occupied until he goes to college.”
Play Palace in Henrietta takes a different approach: inclusion across all abilities. Owner Kristin Bonn calls it Rochester’s only inclusive play center, and she knows the need firsthand.
“It’s important for me, because I was in the field of special education for over 20 years,” she said. “My students were often left out.”
Bonn created Play Palace so kids wouldn’t have to wait for designated “sensory Sundays” or other special events just to exist comfortably in a play space.
The center features a massive play structure known as “the castle,” complete with swings, climbing walls, trampolines, bungee chairs and ball pits. There are two sensory rooms, an arts and crafts center and a concession stand. It’s less “bounce ‘til you drop” and more “explore at your own pace.”
But for Bonn, the appeal goes beyond the amenities.
“It’s hard enough being a parent,” she said. “But then being a parent to a kid with special needs is difficult. So we’re here to help.”
With many traditional “third spaces” disappearing — and with kids having less freedom to roam — parents are looking for places where both they and their children can coexist with other families. And for parents who are feeling isolated, overwhelmed, under slept and in desperate need of both caffeine and adult conversation, that’s no small gift.
“People come back because they have a community willing to help them.”
Caden Rousseau runs into the arms of his mother, Ashley Rousseau, at Funtastic adventure park. PHOTO BY NATASHA KAISER
Winnie O’Connor rides around on a toy car at Play-A-Latte in Webster.
PHOTO BY NATASHA KAISER
Rafaela Tyler plays in the ball pit at Play Palace in Henrietta.
PHOTO BY NATASHA KAISER
Live dance and music collaborations heat up winter stages.
Bodies in concert
BY SYDNEY BURROWS
Rhythm is, in many ways, the lifeforce of dance.
From ballet and krump to choreography and improvisation, music sparks movement. This winter, that relationship takes center stage as live musicians and dancers share the spotlight in performances by Ephrat Asherie Dance, Garth Fagan Dance, Rochester City Ballet and a collection of regional hip-hop artists.
At the end of January, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra will launch its Dance Festival, a pair of weekend performances bringing new work by Garth Fagan Dance (January 24-25) and Rochester City Ballet (January 31 - February 1) to Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre. The festival begins with “American Masters,” conducted by Aram Demirjian and featuring Garth Fagan Dance. Set to Philip Glass’s “Days and Nights in Rocinha,” the company will premiere choreography by artistic director Norwood ‘PJ’ Pennewell. The RPO rounds out the program with “Three Dance Episodes” from “On the Town” by Leonard Bernstein and Aaron Copland’s “Symphony No. 3.”
Andreas Delfs, music director of the RPO, sees the first weekend’s pairing as an opportunity for two distinct artistic languages to amplify one another. He believes that the Garth Fagan style — a mix of Afro-Caribbean dance and classical modern technique — will be a stunning combination with
the minimalist and emotional music of Glass.
“The language of dance and music doesn’t always have to be 12 ladies in a row with tutus,” said Delfs. “It’s gorgeous to translate music through the body in ways that aren’t necessarily the standard audiences are used to.”
For those looking for a more classical combination, Rochester City Ballet takes the stage with RPO the following weekend to perform a story ballet set to “Romeo and Juliette” by Sergei Prokofiev (arranged by Delfs). Led by co-artistic directors Shannon Purpura and Megan Kamler, the company excels in storytelling, strengthened by the dancers’ talent and precision. Delfs will conduct, anchoring an evening that also includes Otto Nicolai’s “Merry Wives of Windsor Overture” and a new piano concerto by Aaron Jay Kernis featuring pianist JeanYves Thibaudet. Delfs expects the collaborations will have a transformative impact not only on audiences, but on the artists themselves.
“Dance is elegant and beautiful and weightless, but anyone who works with dancers knows what physical strength and hard labor is needed,” he said. “The dancers inspire the musicians to put in their very best, and vice versa.”
That reciprocal energy is also at the heart of “Shadow Cities” by Ephrat Asherie Dance in collaboration with Grammy award-winning composer and pianist Arturo O’Farrill. Weaving live music with street and club dance, “Shadow Cities” comes to the Sloan Performing Arts Center at the University of Rochester for a single performance on February 6.
Ephrat Asherie, a Bessie Award winner and artistic director of the company, is internationally recognized for her distinctive fusion of house, breaking and other street-style dance. A New York City native, Asherie credits the underground dance scene there with shaping her artistic voice. She trained with early pioneers of breaking, including
Richard ‘Break Easy’ Santiago, who emphasized the inseparability of culture and dance.
“Street dance and club dance are culturally reflective dances,” Asherie said. “I got to share the dance floor with dancers who were involved in creating the ethos of the underground dance scene, and it shaped the lens with which I view the world.”
Beyond its upbeat energy and rhythmic drive, street dance is grounded in community and inclusivity.
“These dances were created by Black and Brown LGBTQI+ community members in underground spaces,” said Asherie. “It was like, ‘We can’t be ourselves above ground, but we can be ourselves here’ — and that laid the groundwork for house dance.”
“Shadow Cities,” created alongside O’Farrill and in collaboration with the company dancers, emerged from a long development process in which the movement and music were composed together. The result is a deeply original, organic language spoken by both the dancers and musicians and shared directly with the audience. Asherie describes the work as existing in an “in-between” space within the shadows, a place where form meets freestyle and the rational meets the irrational.
Ephrat Asherie Dance visits Rochester as part of the University of Rochester’s annual InspireJam, a dance battle-style event on February 7 at Sloan Performing Arts Center featuring workshops, performances and spaces to dance as a community. This year marks the 14th iteration of the competition, drawing dancers from all over the region. Rochester’s hip-hop scene has grown significantly over the last decade, with new krump crews adding to the high-quality talent that shines in the battles.
This year’s event is an all-styles competition, open to everything from breaking and krump to hiphop, house and jazz fusion. Twoperson teams will battle through rounds of elimination until a winner is named. Despite the competitive stakes, the dancers encourage one another and feed off each other’s energy. Asherie, who will act as one of the judges in the jam, finds that community connection is what makes break dance unique.
“Movement is storytelling, and in the underground dance space, people share themselves,” she said. “And then, we can know each other.”
Top, 'Shadow Cities' by Ephrat Asherie Dance.
PHOTO BY NIR ARIELI
Bottom, "The Rite of Spring", a collaboration between Garth Fagan Dance and The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra.
PHOTO BY NICOLINA SCIBONA
InspireJam 2021.
PHOTO BY MISSY PFOHL SMITH
From grief to art
BY MADELYN TAYLOR
In December 2020, Michael Fambro walked out of the hospital for the first time in three days to find her car buried in snow. After she cleared it off, she climbed inside and sat in a daze. Her beloved father, world-renowned musician Miché Fambro, had just died.
The only thing Fambro could think to do was to turn on Steel Pulse, a band she and her father loved. That night, she said, Steel Pulse “took her home.”
Growing up, Fambro was surrounded by music. As a teenager, she worked on shows with her father’s reggae band and joined him on the road touring across the United States.
After his death, Fambro inherited $500 and his extensive record collection. In the weeks following, she searched for a hobby in the midst of the pandemic as her theater job was put on hold. Crocheting made her mad and puzzles made her cuss. Eventually, Fambro saw someone making earrings and thought, “Maybe I could do that.”
Fambro had no prior experience with clay, so she experimented while listening to some of the vinyls she inherited. She was excited to fail, try again and get better at the craft.
“If I’m looking to create a set of earrings and I have no ideas, usually my hands just do the work,” she said. “So you throw on some music, you catch a vibe and
Michael Fambro forges Jazz House Designs as a tribute to her beloved father.
CULTURE
you’re like ‘OK, alright, this is what we’re going to do.’”
The grief only got harder to cope with, even almost two years after her father’s death. Fambro said it felt like her father was “out on tour” and he’d be back in a few days.
“I needed to grieve through something and put my feelings somewhere,”she said. “So that’s what I did with the earrings.”
Fambro spent months in her Livingston County home surrounded by sets of earrings she made as jazz music blared around her. In July 2021, she took the earrings out for the first time, to a small festival. Fambro was in disbelief as people began buying up the earrings and she soon established Jazz House Designs, a small business to commemorate her and her father’s love for jazz music.
“I’m not good at keeping art private,” Fambro said. “It feels like a natural thing for me to do. I make stuff and I share it.”
Since that first fest in 2021, Fambro has sold more than 5,000 earrings. Her friend and avid customer Joanna Walters met her at the Geneseo Summer Festival, when Fambro noticed her earrings and called her over to her stand. The two clicked and soon became fast friends (since that meeting,
Walters owns 10 pairs of Fambro’s earrings).
“I’m a big believer in taking your heartbreak and making it into art,” Walters said. “You can channel hard stuff in life into new creation, and hers is a perfect example of that.”
Fambro also relied heavily on her husband of 16 years, Gerald Swanson. In the beginning, Swanson said he wasn’t sure how Fambro was going to sell anything — then he saw how she introduced her earrings at festivals.
“She has a lot of passions and interests, but I’ve never really
the business and become very successful over time.”
Fambro’s mother once asked if she would’ve created Jazz House had her father not died, and Fambro said she didn’t know the answer, but knew that he was alongside her, cheering on the process.
One of Fambro’s favorite pieces is a pair of black and white earrings decorated with sparrows and music notes, inspired by her father, who would sing “Lullaby of Birdland” for her while performing sets.
“He would’ve been so thrilled about Jazz House,” she said. “I know for a fact my father would’ve been so proud.”
jazzhousedesigns.com
Michael Fambro.
PHOTO BY TATIANA ARIOLA PHOTOGRAPHY
PHOTOS PROVIDED
Fambro's earring designs. PHOTO PROVIDED
Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School relocates to the Sibley Triangle Building.
From the hill to the heart of downtown
BY GEORGE CASSIDY PAYNE
For nearly a century, Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School sat like a sentinel above the city, perched on the hill at 1100 South Goodman St., its Gothic towers peering over Highland Park. Designed by James Gamble Rogers, the same architect who left his mark on Yale and Columbia, the campus radiated a stately stillness that seemed immune to time.
But time caught up. Declining enrollment, costly maintenance and shifting patterns in theological education pushed the seminary to leave its iconic perch in 2018 for the Village Gate complex. The move offered flexibility and lower overhead, but the school’s visibility faded. “Is it still around?” became a common question.
Now, in a move as symbolic as it is strategic, Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School (CRCDS) has returned downtown, moving into the historic Sibley Triangle Building a few steps from Parcel 5, Eastman School of Music and the heartbeat of Rochester’s rebirth.
“This is a full-circle moment,” said Dr. Angela D. Sims, the school’s thirteenth (and first female) president. “We’re honoring our past while being fully present where the city’s energy, creativity and need intersect. We have always taken seriously the mandate of prophetic
Front entrance of Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School.
PHOTO BY ROBERTO F. LAGARES
biblical teachings to pursue peace and justice. Now we are truly a seminary of the community and for the community.”
The move is more homecoming than relocation. CRCDS traces its lineage to Rochester Theological Seminary, founded downtown in 1850; Hamilton Seminary, which merged with it in 1928; and Crozer Theological Seminary of Pennsylvania, whose most famous student, Martin Luther King Jr., refined his theology of nonviolence there in the late 1940s. The 1970 merger that brought Crozer into the fold made King part of CRCDS’s intellectual DNA. CRCDS also absorbed the Baptist Missionary Training School, a pioneering women’s seminary from Chicago whose alumni remain among its most passionate advocates. Those legacies — abolitionist, feminist, prophetic — are the backbone of CRCDS today.
For alumni like Rev. Michael Ford, a governing trustee, the school’s relocation isn’t about nostalgia, it’s about visibility and vocation.
“I think CRCDS has a deeply embedded history in Rochester and an impact across the country and world from people who have gone through its halls,” Ford said. “Rochester is a hotbed for education, political and social movements, perhaps even more so as the world becomes more interconnected. It needs a shared place.”
That shared place, he added, must also be visible.
“For so long, CRCDS was deeply connected to a place. By relocating into the hub of the city, CRCDS is going to the people instead of asking people to come to
it.” Ford said. “We are now a voice, an active part of the conversation. We can’t simply place ourselves in a building. The same is true of churches. We can’t keep ourselves inside the walls. The Church is for building — it is not a building.”
From its downtown vantage, the divinity school hopes to partner with the downtown campuses of Eastman School of Music, Rochester Institute of Technology and Monroe Community College as well as local nonprofits to cultivate a theology of presence where faith, scholarship and social impact converge.
“Rochester has always been a crucible for reform and innovation,” Ford said. “We’re reclaiming that spirit. This is where conversations about justice, equity and spirituality belong: Out in the open.”
CRCDS has long blurred the line between pulpit and public life. Its roots in the Social Gospel movement link it to theologian Walter Rauschenbusch, whose writings helped inspire 20th-century social reform. King himself credited Crozer’s faculty with deepening his belief that theology must be lived, not just taught. At the new campus, that lineage continues.
Rev. Dr. J.J. Warren, assistant professor of (queer) theology and lead of the gender, sexuality and racial justice program, sees this as not just theological reflection, but a form of democratic resistance — a way to think critically about power, identity and the moral foundations of public life.
“Especially in a time such as this, progressive theological education is necessary for combating the rise of Christian nationalism, because it demands we ask that series of critical questions,” Warren said. If our theology is to be academically rigorous, it must be forged in the fires of social movements. And if the church seeks to respond to the pressing needs of our time, then it must have a theology that takes seriously a critical reflection on its own method and asks whose voices have been unintentionally neglected or explicitly excluded, and why.”
That urgency resonates with many
students. CRCDS’s 79 enrollees come from a range of denominations — African methodist episcopal, baptist, pentecostal, quaker, catholic, and nondenominational — each drawn by the school’s openness and its $300 monthly tuition model that makes graduate theological education financially accessible.
For alumna RAin Christi, a social worker and self-described mystic, the seminary offered something no tuition plan could quantify: freedom.
“I was raised in a violent home,” she said. “At CRCDS, I found a place that let me heal and believe in the divinity within all of us. It set me free.”
Her advice to incoming students at the downtown campus is simple.
“Leave your dogma at the door. Lay down what you don’t understand,” she said. “We’re in a spiritual crisis, and the revolution has to start inside your own heart.”
The seminary’s return also speaks to Rochester’s broader story: a city defined by reformers, thinkers and dreamers who challenged their times. From Susan B. Anthony to Frederick Douglass, Rochester has been a place where faith and social conscience intersected. Now, in a building once home to commerce
and innovation, CRCDS is staking out a new kind of marketplace for ideas, ethics and hope.
Many still recall the old hilltop campus fondly. For Rev. Jill Bradway, an alumna, her time in those buildings shaped the heart of her seminary experience.
“Strong Hall, with all of its nooks and spaces to read, converse and commune — it was priceless,” she said. “I have visited the new campus. It’s lovely, but it doesn’t feel the same. The buildings on the former campus housed the memories of every great professor and student who walked those hallowed halls.”
Today, downtown Rochester hums with energy: murals, markets, new apartments, students biking between campuses and activists organizing on Main Street. Into that rhythm steps a 205-year-old seminary that has produced generations of pastors, scholars and organizers.
“The essence of the school was never about the location — it’s the people, the conversations, the call for social justice and that doesn’t stay in one place,” Bradway said. “My time at CRCDS helped me to understand that God is so much bigger than I ever imagined.”
A letter from CRCDS alum Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
PHOTO BY ROBERTO F. LAGARES
Dr. Angela D. Sims, president of CRCDS.
PHOTO BY ROBERTO F. LAGARES
By invitation
FOOD + BEV
BY RACQUEL STEPHEN RSTEPHEN@WXXI.ORG
Behind an unmarked door on East Main Street in downtown Rochester, a staircase leads down into a lit 3,000-square-foot space. Half of the room is a stocked bar; the other half is a dining area. Welcome to Exclusively Members Only (EMO), a membershipbased social club opened by three Black millennial women. And while the historic space needed some sprucing up, the trio saw something special, something exclusive.
“We saw a diamond in the rough,” said co-owner Janelle Holmes.
EMO, which is currently open Thursday through Sunday, was opened in September by Holmes, her sister Jahnae Holmes, and their childhood friend, Charmaine Walker. All three owners have backgrounds and skillsets that mesh into the perfect partnership.
“This is a family business more than anything,” said Janelle. “It’s beyond a group chat (with friends). This is family.”
They envisioned a place where young professionals and influencers who are serious about growing both their network and net worth could come together to let their hair down and problems go. EMO is meant to be a place where community, culture and connection meet.
“It’s intentional, it’s safe, it’s diverse, it’s a secret — and that’s something that we don’t want to
Three Black millennial women launch a members-only dining and social venue downtown.
bend on,” said Janelle. “That’s very important to our mission.”
To join EMO, potential members must fill out an application, then the trio does a thorough vetting of the applicant to ensure they are a good fit for the vibe being curated. Single membership packages range from bronze to gold; and there’s a couples’ package and a corporate membership for businesses and organizations. Some of EMO’s events are members only and some are open to the public, but they’re all member-led.
“We want people to come here and connect with others and continue to grow,” Walker said. “We still want to meet people and make those connections and take our businesses, and even EMO specifically, to the next level.”
Janelle, who is also a certified psychiatrist and a trained chef, is EMO’s lead cook and handles the club’s communications and marketing. Her sister, Jahnae, is a mixologist and manages the bar. And Walker, a graduate of the inaugural Golisano Business Institute class, takes care of the finances and will sometimes fulfill culinary requests.
“If we were going to sacrifice our time, our energy and we were going to invest in something, it needed to be something that would guarantee a return,” Walker said.
The dining menu ranges from braised lambchops to Southernstyle catfish, which can be paired with soulful sides like collard greens and candied yams or something more “around the way” like french fries. Seafood lovers can enjoy lobster mac and cheese, fried
calamari or even a tray of mussels.
Jahnae Holmes left her life in Syracuse to help her sister’s vision become a reality. By day she is a schoolteacher, but at EMO her creativity goes beyond asking, “vodka or gin?”
“Cocktails are chemistry, but bartending is connection,” Jahnae said. “I’m here for both — the science, the soul and the memorable experience.”
The taste of Jahnae’s cocktails is further complemented by the beauty of each drink: colors, garnishes, mixology — all designed for the members to enjoy each sip.
Everything at EMO is detailed, Janelle said, from the food and
drink menus to the color scheme of the interior.
“Everything is intentional for welcoming, for warmth, for community,” said Janelle. “We want you to eat, we want you to drink. But we also want this to be an experience for you.”
The vision for EMO is clear to its founders.
“We will be able to feed the community,” said Janelle. “We’ll be able to give back. We will be able to create connections inside a room full of people who all have great ideas.”
emorochester.com
Left to right, Jahnae Holmes, Charmaine Walker and Janelle Holmes.
PHOTO BY ROBERTO F. LAGARES
Dishes from the EMO menu.
PHOTO BY ROBERTO F. LAGARES
Stellar performances help the sequel to last year’s blockbuster navigate a lackluster plot.
“Wicked: For Good”
FILM
BY JOHANNA LESTER
To borrow (and edit) a lyric from another Broadway powerhouse: how do you solve a problem like splitting an uber-popular show into two equally (hopefully) winning movies? With more than a 15-minute intermission to contend with since the first half, “Wicked,” premiered in November 2024, “Wicked: For Good” does the best it can — for better and for worse.
First, a recap: “Wicked” ends with Glinda (Ariana Grande, astonishing) and Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo, glorious) parting ways — with Elphaba defying not only gravity but the Wizard (Jeff Goldblum) and Oz itself.
“Wicked: For Good” picks up after a brief time jump, wherein Glinda has become a figurehead in Oz, engaged to Fiyero (Jonathan Bailey, given little to do but still managing to have chemistry with everyone and everything, including, it must be said, at least one of the flying monkeys) and mildly puppeted by the Wizard and Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh).
Elphaba is living off the grid and working to expose the Wizard and rescue persecuted animals, outfitted in her now-signature hat as well as several divine black capes and cloaks (and one truly baffling crocheted shawl we’ll come back to in a minute). As Nessarose and Boq (Marissa Bode and Ethan Slater) have some strong moments together and apart, building well to their ultimate roles within the story.
But when all is said and done, we are seated for Glinda and Elphaba (and Grande and Erivo). “Wicked: For Good” is, by design, Glinda’s film (as “Wicked” was largely a showcase for Elphaba), and Grande supports her comedic chops from the first film with her portrayal of heartbreak and resolve here. “For Good,” the pair’s final duet, is the resolution we want and need, and director Jon M. Chu gives this song some well-earned space to breathe and to knock us right in the tear ducts. It would be easy to write off this film as unnecessary, or even middling, but I’m not that girl. It’s proof that even among greatness, there is still room for good.
Other roads to Oz FOR THOSE WHO WANT A BIT OF A YELLOW BRICK BENDER.
Where the film suffers, almost debilitatingly so, is due to the musical itself: Act II of “Wicked” just isn’t that interesting. “Wicked: For Good” goes nearly 40 minutes without a true bop and commits the cardinal sin of separating Glinda and Elphaba for far too long. “Wicked” (the first movie) soars precisely because of Grande and Erivo’s chemistry, their constant banter and partnering, to some degree, on several wildly winning songs. “Wonderful,” normally a duet between the Wizard and Elphaba, becomes a trio of voices with the addition of Glinda, and even theater purists will be glad; by that point, we’re longing to see them together again onscreen.
As songs go, the two new numbers — ”No Place Like Home” and “The Girl in the Bubble” — are, like most new music written for a movie adaptation of a musical, serviceable and ultimately forgettable. You won’t be humming either tune on your way out of the theater. (See also
“Suddenly” from “Les Misérables” and “Evermore” from the live-action remake of “Beauty and the Beast.” Or don’t, actually. They’re bad.) “As Long As You’re Mine,” traditionally staged as a dramatic and intense romantic moment for Elphaba and Fiyero, is devoid of nearly all physical and emotional connection, making what should be a (hot!) turning point in the story seem hollow and confusing. It also features Elphaba clad in the aforementioned “hideocious” (Ozian parlance) shawl, a garment that could not be less seductive.
Still, the highs are very high. Paul Tazewell became the first Black man to win the Oscar for Best Costume Design for his work on “Wicked,” and he continues to stun here, every gossamer skirt and tasseled epaulet a love letter to these characters and this world. And yes, there is a horse of a different color, and yes, a quartet of misfits (and Toto, too) heads down the yellow brick road to the Emerald City.
“Wicked” (2024, PG)
Of course, if you’re here for the sequel, you likely held space for the first half. “Wicked” is as solid an adaptation of an adaptation inspired by a classic that was itself an adaptation that movie history has seen to date. Ariana Grande gives a legitimately wonderful comedic performance, Cynthia Erivo provides the story its soul, and Jonathan Bailey gives Fiyero a reason for existing.
“The Wizard of Oz” (1939, G)
The aforementioned classic that was itself an adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s novel, “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.” Perhaps no movie in history has been discussed as thoroughly as this one, so I’ll just add: the change from silver (in the book) to ruby red slippers was the absolute right call for a film famously associated with the use of
Arianda Grande as Glinda and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba. PHOTO COURTESY GILES KEYTE/UNIVERSAL PICTURES
Technicolor, and Judy Garland (at the unbelievable age of 16) could have only made this one film and been an icon for the rest of her days. As viewers, we’re lucky she made several more.
“The Wiz” (1978, G)
Perfect casting does exist, and in this case, it’s everyone in “The Wiz,” an all-Black musical take on “The Wizard of Oz,” based on the Tony Award-winning show of the same name. Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Nipsey Russell, Mabel King, Lena Horne and Richard Pryor, among others — plus behind-the-scenes star power of Quincy Jones and Luther Vandross? If you’ve never eased on down the road with this version of the story, now’s the time.
“Return to Oz” (1985, PG) Are you between the ages of 35 and 62? Then you may be entitled to compensation for the nightmares induced by having seen this film. It makes sense that a story initially involving a scarecrow come to life and dueling witches could inspire such a dark fantasy — that Disney marketed this to children was, perhaps, not the best path forward. But if you watched this as a child, you’re probably better prepared to handle any current breaking news update sent from the “New York Times.”
“Wild at Heart” (1990, R)
This (not for children) film from director David Lynch draws heavily on Ozian imagery (right down to Glinda in her bubble) throughout its tale of two (extremely) troubled souls (Nicholas Cage and Laura Dern) searching for connection. It makes sense that one of American cinema’s least cynical filmmakers would be inspired by a (the?) classic story of our innate desire to form a found family and the belief that clicking our heels together would, when in deepest need, bring us back home. (For even more on Lynch and Oz, check out the 2022 documentary “Lynch/ Oz.”)
Holiday Services
First Universalist Church of Rochester
The Dish
WHET YOUR PALATE
In caffeinated news this month, FairPour has opened a third location at Adventure Place around the corner from The Strong (the others are in Fairport’s Cannery and in IronWorks Ithaca), fairpour.com. And the region’s first Dominican coffee cart, Café Cómodo, is currently popping up in the Finger Lakes and available for private events. cafecomodo.com
The Cocktail Lab, a venue for small gatherings, mixology classes and other unique events has opened at 133 Liberty Pole Way, headed by “Brandon the Bartender” Pinkins, a popular mobile bar operator: thecocktaillabroc. com. Good Luck, 40 Anderson Ave., and Cure, 50 Public Market, will be open for additional holiday dinner hours on Tuesday, Dec. 23 and Tuesday, Dec. 30, reservations at restaurantgoodluck.com and curebar.net.
Seneca Lake’s first winery, Glenora Wine Cellars, has a new owner for the first time since it opened in 1978. The Dundee-based property, which also has a 30-room inn and a sizable restaurant, has been on the market for years. It was acquired from longtime owners Gene Pierce and Scott Welliver in mid-November by FLX Family Winery, a sister company to Lilly Brothers Brewing (owner of Horseheads Brewing) and Lilly Broadcasting (which owns WENYTV).
FOR THE LOCAVORES
Joe Bean Roasters has launched Artist Series — a project that pairs their coffee with Rochester-inspired artwork created by Rochesterproduced talent. The inaugural bag features beans from longtime Joe Bean partner Cafe Rivense in Costa Rica packaged in the art of Sam Horowitz, an artist from Brighton who earned his MFA at the world-renowned Les Gobelins, l’École de l’Image in Paris, and now lives and works in Los Angeles. Rochester Institute of Technology graduate Kyle Sheth, who lives in Brooklyn, helped design and produce the project. The Artist Series is available in 12 oz. bags and by the bundle (12 oz. bag and small print). Standalone prints are also available in small and large sizes (larger prints are signed by the artist). All items can be purchased at joebeanroasters.com
At the Grow-NY Summit in November, Finger Foods Farm — a company based in Bloomfield — won the Audience Choice Award sponsored by Wegmans, the only Grow-NY prize determined entirely by public vote. Finger Foods Farm creates frozen, farm-grown soups using ingredients sourced from its own farm and partner farms across New York State. By processing vegetables at peak freshness and freezing the finished soups, the company offers a way to enjoy local produce year-round while strengthening the regional agricultural economy. Find their products at Wegmans and other select locations: fingerfoodsfarm.com.
FOOD FÊTES
For those looking for a way to give back this season, Rochester Food Not Bombs hosts two weekly community cooks: 5 p.m. on Wednesday and 3 p.m. on Saturday at the Flying Squirrel Community Space, 285 Clarissa St. Afterward, participants are
welcome to help hand out meals in front of the RTS station entrance on St. Paul Street. rocfnb.org
George Eastman Museum’s 30th annual “Sweet Creations” exhibit features more than 50 gingerbread houses on display (including a mini Stever’s!?) through January 4. Free to members; included with museum admission for non-members: eastman. org/sweet-creations-2025.
The Genesee Country Village & Museum will host a series of elegant afternoon teas from 1-3 p.m. December 10-11 and 16-18. Guests will enjoy a selection of fine teas, delicate finger sandwiches, and handmade pastries in our cozy, firelit lounge decorated for the holidays while learning about 19th-century traditions from GCV&M experts. Tickets must be purchased in advance; $50 for members, $55 for nonmembers: gcv.org.
How do you break it to your extended family when you want your holiday to be a true HOLIDAY — a day to relax, stay in bed, do things on your time? What if I don’t want to wake up at 8 a.m. to open presents with children or eat a full dinner at 2 p.m.? How do I say this kindly to my relatives so it doesn’t hurt their feelings? Is there a good compromise?
Sincerely,
Miss Loves Her Family (Really)
Dear Really,
First, you can stop feeling like a grinch, because 22% of people choose to be alone during the holidays, according to a recent report from Fortune.com. Another traveler poll found that 75% can barely take four hours of forced family fun before hiding in the bathroom or taking a walk with their cool cousin for some fresh air and a joint.
We’re all sick of each other, and the holidays are just an excuse to be sick of each other up close, all while ignoring your uncle’s views on immigration and chugging your fourth glass of Pittsford Farms Dairy eggnog spiked with brandy.
This time of year is a marathon, filled with social expectations, invasive questions and overstimulation that can leave even the most extroverted of us looking for a way out. The problem is, it’s the holidays, and they are also filled with warm nostalgia, great food, new memories and old traditions. They are draining and, in many ways, rejuvenating.
The artist Jordan Bolton wrote about that all-too-familiar experience of delaying going home to your family. Not because you don’t love them, but because it’s not often that you have time to yourself, where nothing is expected of you and no one is calling or emailing you. There are no expectations of you between the car and the front door, and you’re not sure when you’ll get that again. That scarcity mindset also leads to viewing this
time
A few years ago, I took a trip to Scotland over Thanksgiving. It was the first time I went on a solo vacation, and it was perfect. I went to all the sights, tried all the food and even made new friends. But, on Thanksgiving night while sitting in a pub, I was hit with a pang of loneliness. Halfway around the world, I wished I was home checking on the turkey and making fun of my sister for not cooking anything (she’s not allowed — it’s a long story). It made being home that Christmas all the sweeter.
Stop looking at what you don’t want to do and start planning what you can commit to do. Pencil in the big moments: meals, games, church and the family pajama exchange. What matters the most to you and yours? Everything else is optional. Don’t go full humbug. Make sure everyone knows how excited you are to see them and find new ways to let them know you’re thinking of them — a card, a call or stopping by another day.
If all else fails, remember that wanting a holiday that actually feels like a holiday is not selfish, and the people who love you want you to be rested, not resentful.
xoxo, Maggie
Everything old is new again
PUZZLE
BY S.J. AUSTIN & J. REYNOLDS
1. Wood used in most baseball bats
Willie Mays or Eli Manning
Wrote some Javascript, say
Papas’ counterparts
Greek letter X
By land ___
Practice piece for a Julliard student
___ garde 23. Yorkipoo, e.g.
24. Superspreader event at Kodak founder’s mansion?
27. Behar, to Goldberg
29. 1946 Nobel laureate for literature 30. Bed for a cadet 31. “Mony Mony” singer 32. Motown or Elektra 34. Ride, in a way or the thing being ridden 36. “Think Different” or “Got Milk?” 38. Midlife crisis convertible 40. Como ___ 43. “___ Mio”
45. Dominated, as in a first person shooter
46. Elizabethan pronoun
47. They that ___ in tears shall reap in joy (Psalm)
48. Kid’s response to “Get off the iPad right now!”
53. Danson and Nugent
54. Trendy furniture store for a literary arachnid?
57. Moon, e.g., poetically
58. Pertaining to the mouth
59. Decision time on “Survivor,” familiarly
60. Pseudonym for Geisel
61. Vintage car inits.
62. Minty cocktail
64. Lined up
66. “Let it stand,” editorially
67. Cindy Lou and her fellow villagers
69. Heavenly being
71. Promise made upon taking office
73. Depend (on)
75. Recently steeped beverage
78. British political party, to Americans
81. “Well-bred insolence,” according to Aristotle
84. ___ year (annually)
86. Carved emblems
88. Off-putting chemical?
89. Suffix with ethyl
90. Peak named for a 45-carat jewel?
93. JPEG alternatives
94. What you will
95. Test
96. Ingredient in old fashioned biscuits
97. Homes for hamsters
98. Wears
100. Eddy inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994
101. Performance sometimes viewed through glasses
102. Course for a sweet tooth?
106. Turn (off)
108. Feeds
110. Go ___ great length
111. First word of many city names
113. One of many buildings converted to polling places in 2020
116. Bra parts
119. Provocative job title for a proud American patriot?
123. Statute
124. Teammate of Robert and Danny
125. Buenos ___
126. Early: Prefix
127. Home of Sen. Doug Jones
128. One of 16 in “The Crucible”
129. Adolescents
130. Signal to Rickey Henderson
131. Place for bear cubs or thieves
Lasso’s former sport (and his new one)
58. Spanish eye
63. Dressmakers’ guides
65. Went to court?
68. Banzai, Shenzi, or Ed from “The Lion King”
70. Wanting
72. The “A” of MoMA
73. Colosseum locale
74. Son of Seth
76. Native Nebraskan
77. From ___ bottom
79. Decorate
80. On ___ knee
82. Deduce
83. Actress Thompson of “Dear White People”
85. ___ drop of a hat
87. Acknowledged a military officer
91. Publisher William Randolph __
92. Goat sound
93. Assignment in English class
97. Asset for a pitcher
99. Patronize, as a hotel
100. Coercion
102. Toys you can dress
103. 1940s computer
104. Printer company mispronounced by Michael Scott
