Christmas in Crystal City

There’s a magical Christmas spirit in Upstate New York in the Most Fun Small Town in America… Corning! It’s the next town over from the hometown where I grew up, so I spent a lot of time in Corning, especially during Christmas.

*The glass tree at Corning Museum of Glass.*

The historical Market Street (downtown) is gorgeous with beautiful brick buildings. The Center Square is where the clock tower is, its where you will find the Christmas tree and gazebo to visit Santa Claus. It’s always so magical during the holiday season, like a winter wonderland. Christmas in Corning also holds a meaningful memory as that was where my husband proposed to me on Christmas Eve several years ago!

*We come back ever year to reminisce our engagement memories!*

There are many events happening starting with the holiday lighted parade on Small Business Saturday after Thanksgiving (this event has already occurred for 2021). This upcoming Saturday December 4th, 2021 from 5-9 PM is the Sparkle. The Market Street will be closed to traffic, hosting entertainment such as horse carriage rides, food vendors, performances and more! Don’t forget to shop the local businesses as there are plenty of them with something for everyone. Corning actually was named one of best town to experience at Christmas!

The Rockwell Museum is hosting their Gingerbread Invitational until January 3rd. The past month was the first year I attended. I was so excited to see some of gingerbread creations! I particularly loved the one of Corning Inc building with NOEL spelled out in lights. For those who aren’t local, there is a 9-stories tall building visible from NYS Route 17 highway that has the word ‘NOEL’ lighted up every night during the holiday season. It was a fond memory so I loved seeing that gingerbread replica of it! There were also replica of Corning’s Little Joe and Clock Tower as well a couple of the waterfalls in Finger Lakes region.

*Gingerbread version of Taughannock Falls (Ithaca, NY).*

*Gingerbread version of Corning Inc.’s NOEL tradition.*

When I was in town last week, my husband and I decided to be tourists and brought combo tickets to visit both museums in Corning. The first stop was at The Rockwell Museum, a Smithsonian affiliate museum with collections of Western art and Native American art. When I moved to the New England region and mention this museum, everyone assumed it was about Norman Rockwell, but it’s not! The fine art collections at Rockwell is impressive and it’s nice to take a slow paced stroll around to enjoy the artwork. Be sure to check out the gift shop, which had some local Corning souvenirs.

After The Rockwell Museum, we went over to Corning Museum of Glass (CMOG). That’s where you will see the largest collection of art glass in the world! I grew up going to CMOG every year on field trips for school. After going off to college, I grew more appreciation for CMOG, and what it has to offer. Every time I visit the museum, it’s always a must to see a live show of their glass blowing demonstrations. That’s something I’ll never get sick of watching. The museum has many sections, so be sure to plan at least 3-4 hours for a visit. If that’s too much, no worries… the tickets are valid for two consecutive days if you want to break it up.

*Close up of the glass balls on the tree.*

The CMOG gift shop is very impressive as well. I almost always do some holiday shopping there every year! Also, I look forward to seeing the beautiful glass tree during the holiday season. It’s located in the main lobby of CMOG. My family takes an annual photo with the glass tree! Another fun activity at CMOG is to make your own glass. One year, my mom and I made glass snowmen. A few options includes an ornament, tree, mezuzah and many more. It’s highly suggested to buy advanced tickets as the limited spots often sells out!

I was particularly excited when the show ‘Blown Away’ was added on Netflix. A Canadian based reality show about glassblowing competition, with the grand prize of a year residency at CMOG. The glassblowing demonstration at the museum is only 15-20 minutes long but watching this series is even longer! It’s just so fascinating to watch glassblowing. Last week, while at CMOG I saw some art pieces from the show which it was cool to see in-person. I highly recommend you watch this series, the Christmas version was just added on Netflix!

The Gaffer District (downtown Corning) has so much to offer with all of the local shops, businesses, restaurants and more. I love to take a stroll through downtown year-round but especially at Christmas when Market Street is all decorated. Every time I visit my hometown, I always stop in my favorite shops. Connors Mercantile is a gift shop with the cutest home decor items! They also have some Corning souvenirs. Corningware, Corelle & More is always a must stop. I enjoy looking at the latest deals in kitchenware for my home. My plates, bowls and baking dishes are all Corningware, a piece of home with me always! There are several glass shops on Market Street, I like Vitrix Hot Glass Studio. There is a studio where you can catch them creating glass art if you’re lucky! I also love stopping in Pure Design, a store with accessories for the kitchen and home. I’ve picked up a few things from there, including some Christmas decor for the home! I also love to stop in the few antiques shops, especially Market Street Antiques. Its fun to poke around and never know what you will find! I love seeing vintage Corningware which is always plentiful at this shop!

There are plenty choices of where to eat in the Gaffer District. I even haven’t been to all of them! My most favorite is Atlas Brick Oven Pizzeria, I’ve always stopped here every year. Their gourmet pizzas are just out of the world! If you’re looking for the best mac ‘n cheese, look no further than Mooney’s Sports Bar and Grill. Huge portions will have you taking leftovers home! Another favorite is Market Street Brewing Company. My parents introduced me to MSBC a few years ago where I fell in love with their spinach dip appetizer. It’s the BEST. I also loved how they included honey as dip for their sweet potatoes fries, I started doing that all the time now! A good spot for burgers is Burgers and Beer of Corning. A variety of burgers options and a laid back environment. Aniello’s Pizzeria is a favorite pizza joint on Market Street. Many locals argue about who is the best… Atlas or Aniello’s. My family was divided so I grew up going to Aniello’s too, it is really delicious and the best spot for a quick slice to grab!

I know Corning isn’t classified as New England region, but Corning is a beautiful town to visit year-round. I’ll always suggest that people visit this beautiful historical small town! Be sure to check out my other blog about the Finger Lakes region here and here. It’s not a far drive from New England region so that’s a plus! Don’t hesitant to reach out to me for more recommendations of what to do in the area. Enjoy the holidays!