Gnomes at the museum? Yes, a family of gnomes has moved into their tiny home at 18 Perrin Street. Their mission is not to guard the precious treasures of the museum, protection being a more typical role for these mythological creatures, but instead, to entertain our wee visitors, children.

From December 3 until the museum closes for the year on December 10, children (and adults) are invited to visit the gnome home when the museum is open and enjoy gnome approved activities.

These include an “I Spy” game, a gnome hunt, coloring pages, and a gnome story and craft on Saturday, December 3, 10:30-11:30 a.m. The gnome home was made available by the Fairport Perinton Merchants Association and will be at the museum at the same time as other Yuletide Traditions events.

Watch for other gnome homes in Fairport and Perinton.

Program: Reconstruction of the
  Fairport Lift Bridge:
  Yuletide Traditions Special Event
Presenter: Dominic Sherony
Date: Sunday, December 4, 2022
Time: 2:30 p.m.
Location: Museum
Registration: Not Required

The Fairport Lift Bridge was rebuilt over a 22-month period beginning in September of 2019. Dominic Sherony documented this reconstruction in photographs for the Society. This epic project involved replacing 80% of the original bridge.

He will describe how this was accomplished without actually removing the bridge. The reconstruction project involved many steps, some with difficult problems. Several of these issues will be mentioned and he will highlight photos of the reconstruction process as well as those parts of the bridge that are not visible from street level. 

Dominic was born and grew up in northern Illinois and attended University of Detroit and Illinois Institute of Technology, completing graduate degrees in Chemical Engineering. During his employment of 31 years with Xerox Corporation, Dominic took up bird watching as a hobby and has been an active birder since his retirement.  When the reconstruction of the Fairport Lift Bridge began, Dominic decided to create a photographic story of the reconstruction with an emphasis on what, why, and how the project was carried out. 

This event is free and is open to the public.

Program: Yuletide Finale & Members Holiday Party
Date: Dec. 6, 2022
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Fairport Museum
Registration: Not required

Musical entertainment by Mama Goose on the Loose

Events and Programs for 2023:

Witness the history and sounds of one of Rochester's best kept secrets! The Auditorium Theatre is home to a 94 year old, world-class theatre pipe organ. Installed in the RKO Palace Theatre in 1928 to accompany silent films, the Mighty Wurlitzer theatre organ entertained movie and concert-goers for years before falling silent. Enthusiastic volunteers resurrected the sleeping giant years later and rescued it from the wrecking ball before the 1965 demolition of the RKO Palace, forming the all-volunteer Rochester Theater Organ Society (RTOS). 

Today, you can experience the excitement and grandeur of this magnificent, historical instrument (and technological wonder!) at concerts performed by both accomplished and budding theatre organists from across the country and around the world.

Chris Van Stean has been a member of the RTOS since the 1990s and a board member since 2014.  She has served as Director, Secretary, and currently, President.  Chris is a University of Rochester graduate and was employed by the University for 37 years prior to retirement.  

Co-sponsored by the Society and Fairport Public Library.

Registration is required through the Fairport Public Library and is limited. 

To register, visit https://fairportlibrary.libcal.com/event/9162026 or call the library at 585-223-9091. Registration begins December 1st.

The perspectives of many in our community coping with this challenge are included in a notebook now on display at the Museum: The Impact of the 2020– 2021 Coronavirus Pandemic on Fairport and Perinton. 

This collection of reflections, text and photos, is the work of a PHS committee capturing an array of experiences from adults and youth, the village of Fairport, the town of Perinton and local organizations and businesses.