ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The fifth annual Roc Holiday Village, featuring holiday-themed shopping, ice skating, music, and the renowned winter igloos in downtown Rochester is now open.

The holiday village at Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Park will run for 17 days. The cozy winter igloos sold out, but there are plenty of other festivities. Those include 46 vendors, story time events, photos with Santa, and plenty of food trucks. In 2022, the holiday village drew more than 140,000 people.

What are the dates for Roc Holiday Village?

Friday, Dec. 1 through Saturday, Dec. 23 except on Mondays and Tuesdays. You can see the hours for activities including Santa’s Workshop, the ice rink, the shopping village, the Simcona Gingerbread House, and the Triple-O Lodge here.

When will the Liberty Pole lighting be?

The annual lighting of the Liberty Pole will take place at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 2. After that, there will be a family parade to Roc Holiday Village. At the Liberty Pole on East Main Street, there will be a performance from the Prime Time Brass band. Santa and costumed characters will be there.

Once at the Roc Holiday Village, people can enjoy visits with Santa, free crafts, free ice skating and skate rentals (quantities are limited, guests are encouraged to bring their own skates).

To accommodate the parade, the following city streets will be closed starting at 5 p.m. on Saturday and will re-open as the final participants move along the parade route:

• Franklin Street from Liberty Pole Way to East Main Street
• East Main Street from Courtland Street to Gibbs Street
• Gibbs Street from East Main Street to East Avenue
• East Avenue from East Main Street to Broadway
• Broadway from East Avenue to the traffic circle

What other activities are there this year?

• There will be a new photo booth presented by Vitalize Medical & Aesthetics, which will feature festival backdrops.

• Rohrbach Brewing Company will debut a new beer called Village Lager, a crisp classic German lager with a bready malt backbone and subtle hops.

• There will be an expansion of free arcade games to enjoy inside the Rochester Area Community Foundation & Triple-O Lodge.

• There will be two Mini Maker Markets, on Dec. 13 and Dec. 20 from 4 to 9 p.m., in the Simcona Gingerbread House.

• Two free Silent Disco events will take place on the ice rink on Dec. 7 and Dec. 14.

• Bar Trivia will take place inside the Rochester Area Community Foundation & Triple-O Lodge on Dec. 14 from 5 to 7 p.m. hosted by Rochester Pub Trivia.

Where can I park?

Metered parking will be available on area streets and the Washington Square Garage, Allpro Parking Garage at the Five Star Bank Building, Court Street Garage, Midtown Garage, and Fairway Parking. Parking is also available in The Strong National Museum of Play Parking Garage for $10. Court St. between Chestnut St. and Manhattan Square Dr. will be closed to thru traffic during the hours when the Village is open.

What will the forecast be on opening day?

Ever seen a meteorologist deliver a forecast on ice skates? First Alert Meteorologist Alex Bielfeld deliver his report from the ice rink at MLK about what to expect for the opening day of Roc Holiday Village and the Genesee Brewery keg tree lighting.

What can I expect?

News10NBC TODAY spoke with the Roc Holiday Village co-owner, Kelli Marsh, about what to expect for the winter igloos, food, shopping, Santa’s workshop, and festivities.