The benefits of sharing Rochester experiences as gifts extend far beyond personal happiness!

I read an article a few years back about nontraditional gift-giving. The author shares that she decided to stop giving stuff and start giving experiences. “On Christmas morning,” she writes, “my kids opened a letter from Santa. In it, he explained that we’d be leaving on a trip that very day. There were no presents to unwrap, but there were no tears, either. My kids were too excited about the adventure ahead to think about what they didn’t get.”

According to Fast Company’s article, The Science Of Why You Should Spend Your Money On Experiences, Not Things “You can really like your material stuff. You can even think that part of your identity is connected to those things, but nonetheless they remain separate from you. In contrast, your experiences really are part of you. We are the sum total of our experiences.”

Picture your home with less clutter, less to pick up and move around, less waste, less stress—less is truly more!

Arc + Flame

Rochester experiences that encourage you to create something together

Rochester International Jazz Festival

Entertaining Rochester experiences

Seabreeze

Regift Rochester experiences from your own childhood

Swan Street Diner

Rochester experiences with food & beverage

Moss Lake

Rochester experiences in the great outdoors

Mendon Ponds Park

Sporty & adventurous Rochester experiences

Sponsor a farm animal at Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen

Rochester experiences with local & global impact

Silverball Salloon

Miscellaneous Rochester experiences

Panama Rocks

Plan your ROCation!

Take a week off from work and spend it exploring the Rochester area.

Use a map to plot your day trips, plan what new restaurants to try each day, and car-ride activities if your day trip is more than an hour from home.

Try planning your trip with your home as the center of a compass rose. What can you do if you head northeast one day, southwest the next? Plan to alternate short-distance day trips with long-distance.

Present your gift!

Make a calendar with new Rochester experiences each month.

Write experiences on slips of paper and put them in jars. Give each person a jar from which they can draw random ideas throughout the year.

Hang envelopes from the tree, each containing a gift of togetherness like a “coupon” for a Saturday hike, a gift card to the movies, a museum membership, or a cooking class.

Create a memory book (or a blog!) of all of your Rochester experiences.

If you’re gifting from out-of-town, most of these organizations have gift cards and memberships as well.

It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes, or bags. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before. Maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas means a little bit more. The Grinch

132 Things to Do Around Rochester, NY We’ve pulled together a list of fun and unique things to do around Rochester, NY within two hours of home—perfect for quick getaways. Read more

85 Ways to Get Into the Holiday Spirit Rochester has plenty of ways to help you connect with your inner holiday spirit! Enjoy the stories, traditions, and experiences this season has to offer. Read more

6 Spectacular Christmas Lights Around Rochester 2019 Christmas lights around Rochester! These neighborhoods go all-out with extreme holiday lights to fill the season with joy. Show them some love! Read more

New Years Eve 2019-2020 Around Rochester Need ideas for New Years Eve around Rochester? We’ve included a variety of playful places to ring in the new year on December 31, 2019! Happy New Year 2020! Read more

What Rochester experiences will you share this year?

Share your thoughts with us in the comments. Your insight and experience is invaluable!