Member News

Rochester, N.Y., November 04, 2025—Visitors are welcome to celebrate the season at the George Eastman Museum as its beloved annual holiday displays return Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025, through Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026 for its 30th year. The merry showcase features over fifty cleverly designed and beautifully decorated gingerbread creations, along with dozens of handcrafted wreaths, festive tabletop trees, and diverse mantel displays.

All gingerbread creations, wreaths, and tabletop trees will be available through an online auction. Guests can view the displays in person or virtually, and place bids from any mobile device or computer at eastman.org/holidays beginning Saturday, Nov. 8. Proceeds benefit the George Eastman Museum.

Additional holiday offerings at the museum include A Holiday Musical Cocktail Party fundraiser hosted by the Eastman Museum Council and a festive film series at the Dryden Theatre.

2025 Sweet Creations Events 

• Sweet Creations Gingerbreads and Auction: Over fifty cleverly decorated gingerbread creations fill the mansion.
• Wreaths and Auction: Wreaths by local florists and garden clubs adorn the walls.
• Tabletop Trees and Auction: Festive tabletop trees, decorated by local groups and businesses, are on display throughout the historic mansion.
• Mantel Displays: Returning for a third year, the mansion’s fireplace mantels are decorated by local organizations to echo the celebrations of our diverse community. 
• Scavenger Hunt: Visitors of all ages can test their skills through a scavenger hunt. 

A Holiday Musical Cocktail Party Fundraiser
The Eastman Museum Council presents a festive evening of music on Saturday, Nov. 22, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Guests can enjoy performances by resident organist Joe Blackburn, jazz pianist Matthew Valerio, and Nazareth University’s Call4Backup a cappella ensemble. Hors d’oeuvres will be provided by Farmhouse Table Food, and auction items will be available for bidding. Tickets are $100. Reserve a ticket online at eastman.org/holiday-cocktail-party-2025 by Friday, Nov. 14.

Holiday Films at the Dryden Theatre
The Dryden Theatre kicks off its annual holiday film series Thanksgiving weekend with A Christmas Story (1983) on Friday, Nov. 28 at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday, Nov. 29 at 2 p.m.; and National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation (1989) on Saturday, Nov. 30 at 7:30 p.m. Other highlights include It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) on Dec. 5 at 7:30 p.m.,  Dec. 10 at 7:30 p.m., and Dec. 13 at 2 p.m.; A Christmas Carol (1938) on Dec. 18 at 7:30 p.m. and Dec. 20 at 2 p.m.; and The Apartment (1960) on New Year’s Eve at 7:30 p.m. Visit eastman.org/dryden for full film listings.

Hours and Admission
Museum hours during Holidays at the George Eastman Museum are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays. The museum is closed Mondays. The museum will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and News Year’s Day.  For ticket information, visit eastman.org.

About the George Eastman Museum
Founded in 1947, the George Eastman Museum is the world’s oldest photography museum and one of the largest film archives in the United States, located on the historic Rochester estate of entrepreneur and philanthropist George Eastman, the pioneer of popular photography. Its holdings comprise more than 400,000 photographs, 31,000 motion picture films, the world’s preeminent collection of photographic and cinematographic technology, one of the leading libraries of books related to photography and cinema, and extensive holdings of documents and other objects related to George Eastman. As a research and teaching institution, the Eastman Museum has an active publishing program, and its L. Jeffrey Selznick School of Film Preservation’s graduate program (a collaboration with the University of Rochester) makes critical contributions to film preservation. The George Eastman Museum is supported with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature. For more information, visit eastman.org.

Photo: George Eastman Museum/Elizabeth Chiang