A busy calendar gives many options to celebrate holiday season in Orleans County

Photo by Tom Rivers: Bruce Naas of Oakfield gets his tractor decorated in lights and a wreath for the Barre Tractor Parade on Dec. 9, 2023. About 20 tractors and other farm equipment were adorned in Christmas lights for the parade down Route 98. The tractor parade returns on Dec. 14. Barre hosted its first lighted tractor parade in 2018.

As the holidays grow near, activities to celebrate add up in Orleans County

Residents won’t have to go far to find events for shopping, train rides, parades, children’s activities and more.

Medina already kicked off the season of holiday events with Moonlight Madness on Thursday, a night of pre-holiday sales with exclusive deals and the chance to win a giant gift basket.

Today (Nov. 24) is Kendall Fire Hall’s One Stop Holiday Shop, with vendors, crafters and a cookie maker. The event runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The ever-popular Polar Express train ride rolls into Medina Railroad for excursions Nov. 30, Dec. 1, 7, 8,14, 15, 21 and 22. The magical one-hour journey takes passengers to meet Santa at the “North Pole,” set to the film’s film track.

Once aboard, hot chocolate and a cookie will be served and costumed characters will read the Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg. Arriving at the North Pole, Santa will join the train for the return trip and give each passenger a sleigh bell as the first gift of Christmas. Families are encouraged to wear pajamas.

A food vendor will be onsite with various meal options, snacks and drinks. All items purchased there can be brought on the train, but no outside food or beverages are allowed.

Nov. 30 brings the biggest celebration during Medina’s Olde Tyme Christmas and Parade of Lights. This is hailed as one of the biggest and brightest parades in Western New York, with dozens of lighted floats expected to enter.

Highlights include the Home for the Holiday’s 5K race at 9 a.m.; entertainment and vendors downtown from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Santa’s arrival and Pet Parade at noon; Yohe draft horse wagon rides from 1 to 5 p.m.; Friends of Harmony barbershop quartet in Rotary Park at 2 p.m.; Christmas tree lighting in Rotary Park with parade marshal Ginny Kropf at 5:30 p.m.; fireworks over Main Street at 5:45 p.m.; Parade of Lights from the Olde Pickle Factory on Park Avenue to Main Street at 6 p.m., ending at North Main Street.

More daylong events are listed on the Christmas in Medina website.

Dec. 5 though Dec. 8 will feature Holiday Open Houses, hosted by the Medina Area Partnership. This weekend is dedicated to promoting local businesses and their special offerings. The weekend promises to be filled with holiday spirit, shopping and local charm, all amid Medina’s spectacularly decorated downtown.

More information on the days can be found on Medina Area Partnership’s Facebook page.

Dec. 7 is Holley’s annual Memory Bulb Tree Lighting and Holiday Social, at 1 Public Square. Activities include the tree lighting, holiday photos, memory bulb presentation, caroling, cookies and cocoa and Santa.Up-to-date information on the event can also be found at the Village of Holley Festivals Facebook page.

Lyndonville will host its tree-lighting and holiday celebration on Dec. 7 at Veterans Park. There are many activities from 2 to 6:30 p.m. with Santa arriving at 5 p.m. to light the trees.

Dec. 14 will shine as the date of Barre’s Lighted Tractor Parade, starting at 5 p.m. on East Barre Road and ending at the Barre Town Park. Complete information is available on the Barre Betterment Committee’s Facebook page.

At 6 p.m. Dec. 14, the Hometown Holiday/Charles W. Howard Hometown Parade is scheduled in the village of Albion. The parade will begin at Dubby’s Tailgate on East Avenue and then proceed down South Main Street.

The public is invited to spend the day enjoying the festivities of “Hometown Holiday,” which will occur across the town and in the Albion small business district prior to the parade.

The Albion Merchants Association have up-to-date information on their Facebook page regarding the event.

If residents and visitors are still looking for a calm experience after the string of exciting events, Orleans County Tourism reminds everyone of winter fishing in Orleans County.

In the Oak Orchard River and nearby tributaries, such as Johnson Creek and Sandy Creek during the fall, winter and spring, the trout and salmon make upstream migrations, where guides and anglers cast and make hopeful drifts.

During November, the focus is on brown trout and Atlantic salmon.

December and January the focus is on coho salmon and steelhead, still some brown trout and even King salmon.

In February, the focus is all on steelhead, while waiting for fresh chrome fish.