Corning’s Gaffer District Is Excited To Announce A New Twist To Celebrating The Holiday Season In Our Downtown!

The Crystal City holiday season in Corning's Gaffer District is steeped in beloved traditions that span decades. Generations of families and friends have enjoyed the extraordinary backdrop of holiday lights, two beautiful Christmas trees, dozens of extraordinary window displays in our downtown businesses, and so much more.

The pandemic restrictions will prevent us from hosting this year's beloved Crystal City Christmas events such as the Parade of Lights, Sparkle, in-person visits with Santa at the Crystal House, etc. But, we are not going to let this stop our celebration. Instead, we are excited to introduce Crystal City Traditions.

The community is an essential part of all of our celebrations. So we invite you to share your favorite memories and photos from past Parade of Lights, Sparkle, visits with Santa, photos in front of the Centerway Square, and Northside Christmas trees, horse and carriage rides, etc.. Please share them with us at events@gafferdistrict.com, private message to our Facebook page, or mail a copy of photos and/or your favorite memories to Corning’s Gaffer District, Inc., 114 Pine Street, Corning, NY. 14830, and we will share them on our social media channels.

Our retail business owners work every day to keep their premises sanitized and socially responsible as you shop. If you would like the option to shop online or over the phone, we can help you with a free delivery service! We are so grateful to our partners at Ferrario Ford, who will be providing vehicles for us to deliver your retail purchases within a 30-mile radius of Corning. Ferrario Auto Team is excited to be involved with the Gaffer District Crystal City Traditions and assist the Gaffer District business owners as they compete with large online retailers during the holiday.

Most of our restaurants continue to offer delivery and curbside pickup. Go to https://www.facebook.com/groups/gaffer.district.eats or our business directory at https://www.gafferdistrict.com/eat. Stay tuned for new and innovative ways to experience our diverse and delicious offerings that you would expect from a Bon Appetit top culinary destination.

We are committed to continuing the tradition of a spectacular backdrop of seasonal decor to enhance the holiday experience in downtown Corning, including the announcement that Santa is indeed coming to town. However, Santa's Storytime will be available through our social media channels with updates every week from both Santa and our local dignitaries, sponsored in part by the Southeast Steuben Library. Don't miss a chance to win one of the downtown's most coveted holiday decorations in the Vitrix Masked Snowman Scavenger Hunt and giveaway, a partnership with radio station Magic 92.7, and tune into WENY TV to watch memories from Parade of Lights from the past on Sunday, November 29, 2020, at 9:30 a.m. Also available on Ithaca channel NYLocal, Saturday, November 28, at 6:30 p.m.

We appreciate the community's extraordinary support for our business community over the years but especially since the Pandemic cast its shadow over our world. We continue to be a community that is defined by our remarkable resilience and astonishing ability to overcome any adversity on our path by joining together”, said Coleen Fabrizi, executive director of Corning’s Gaffer District.