An International Grad Student's Guide to Christmas in Rochester

Meeting Santa

Meeting Santa in the ROC Holiday Village felt like one of those quests that grad school sneaks in between deadlines. As a first time Santa visitor, it was equal parts awkward and unexpectedly wholesome to sit on a bench framed by Christmas trees and wrapped gifts. The tent was buzzing with families in winter layers, kids clutching craft projects, and strings of lights crisscrossing overhead while Santa cracked jokes and posed like the experience was the most normal thing. The best part was walking away with a free printed photo of the moment.

Holiday Vibes

Most of the evening at ROC Holiday Village felt like swapping out campus hallways for a pop-up winter campus in downtown Rochester. Vendors were tucked under white tents, fire pits were ringed with bright red chairs, and strings of warm bulbs lit up the wooden boardwalk. Instead of students rushing between classes, there were families, couples, and friend groups drifting from booth to booth, clutching hot drinks and trying to decide whether to prioritize food, photos, or one more lap around the market.

Gingerbread Crafting Tents

Inside the main tents, the vibe shifted from an open-air festival to a lounge that everyone wishes existed. One of the spaces was dressed like a life-sized gingerbread house, with candy striped walls, oversized ornaments hanging from the ceiling, and tables packed with kids and parents working on crafts. It was the kind of place where you could feel your shoulders drop, hands finally thaw out, phone get tucked away, and brain quietly recover from too many hours of code and final deadlines. Losing track of time over glitter, paint, and conversation felt like the healthiest kind of procrastination.

The Genesee Keg Tree

The Genesee Keg Tree might be the most "CS student" version of a Christmas tree imaginable: a towering stack of beer kegs wrapped in programmable lights, crowned with a glowing Genesee sign. Standing in front of it after a long week in labs and libraries felt oddly satisfying, like a celebration specifically engineered for people who appreciate both industrial design and good lighting. The snow on the ground, the fenced off base, and the slow color shifts made it weirdly calming.

Warming Up at the Brewhouse

Right next to the keg tree, the Genesee Brew House became the unofficial off campus lounge for the night. Inside, the industrial brick and wood space was packed with people in winter jackets, while holiday merch and old photos of the brewery covered the walls. It had the same group-project energy—lots of small conversations, shared snacks, and unofficial debriefs of the semester—just with better lighting and no whiteboards. The contrast between the freezing glow of the keg tree outside and the cozy noise inside made it very tempting to forget about early morning alarms.

A Different Kind of Semester Reset

This whole night felt like a reset button wedged perfectly between finals deadlines and the next wave of responsibilities. Instead of collapsing at home after a long day, heading to ROC Holiday Village and the Genesee keg tree turned the evening into a reminder that winter in Rochester is more than icy sidewalks and bus schedules. Between meeting Santa, wandering through festive tents, and zoning out in front of a neon keg tower, it felt like the city was quietly telling every overcaffeinated grad student: yes, the work will still be there tomorrow, but tonight, you're allowed to just be here.