Sparkle, Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes: What to do in Elmira and beyond
Maggie GilroyA beloved Corning holiday event is celebrating 45 years.
You can catch this and more in our weekly roundup of five things to do in Elmira and throughout the Southern Tier:
1. Sparkle returns to Downtown Corning
The 45th annual Sparkle will be held in Corning's Gaffer District from 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday. Market Street will be closed and the Centerway Square Christmas tree will be aglow. Activities will include horse-drawn carriage rides, performances by local and regional choral groups, 30 Gaffer District businesses out on the street, 50 unique and handmade craft vendors, a wide variety of food and and free activities. Santa will be stationed in the historic Crystal House. For a complete listing of events and details, visit gafferdistrict.com/sparkle.
2. Museums to host Holiday Open House weekend
Coinciding with Sparkle will be The Rockwell Museum's Holiday Open House weekend. Admission to the Rockwell and KIDS ROCKWELL Art Lab will be free to all ages from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Only on Saturday, visitors can enjoy Family Sparkle: Cookie Decorating and Winter Games from 3 to 6 p.m. No registration is required. The Rockwell Museum is at 111 Cedar St., and the KIDS ROCKWELL Art Lab is at 36 E. Market St., both in Corning. For more information, visit rockwellmuseum.org/events/holiday-open-house-2019. The Corning Museum of Glass will also host a Holiday Open House from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Admission will be free, and there will be craft activities, live music and special glassmaking experiences. Visitors also can take a picture with Santa, check out New Glass Now and make their own holiday glass projects at reduced prices. And don't forget to get a picture with the museum's ornament tree. Advanced registration is required for glassmaking projects. For more information, visit cmog.org.
3. Selfless Elf 5K to raise money for Food Bank
The Selfless Elf 5K Run/Walk, presented by Wegmans, will be held at 3 p.m. Saturday at Thorne Street Park in Horseheads. The event is a fundraiser for the Food Bank of the Southern Tier. Last year’s event raised enough to help provide 246,000 meals throughout Broome, Tioga, Chemung, Schuyler, Steuben and Tompkins counties. In addition to the run/walk, there will also be cocoa and cookies, plus a visit with Santa. For more information, visit SelflessElf5k.org.
4. 'The Monster Who Ate My Peas' to stop at Clemens Center
"The Monster Who Ate My Peas," part of the Clemens Center’s Mary Tripp Marks School-Time Series, will be performed by ArtsPower National Touring Theatre at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Monday. "The Monster Who Ate My Peas" spans 55 minutes and is geared especially for prekindergarten through third grade. Based on the multi-award-winning book by Danny Schnitzlein, the musical tells the funny and poignant story of a young boy who doesn’t want to eat his peas. The production is open to school groups, home schools and to the general public. Tickets are $6. For tickets and information on the School-Time Series, contact the Clemens Center School-Time Coordinator at 607-733-5639, ext. 248, or visit ClemensCenter.org. The Clemens Center is at 207 Clemens Center Parkway, Elmira.
5. Orchestra of Southern Finger Lakes to present Holiday Concert
The Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes will present MUSIC + LITERATURE: An OSFL Holiday Concert at 4 p.m. Saturday at the Clemens Center's Powers Theater in Elmira. Under the baton of Maestro Toshiyuki Shimada, the orchestra will be joined by the Chorus of the Southern Finger Lakes and Matt Seybold, professor at Elmira College, who will read selections from Mark Twain’s Christmas letters and musings throughout the program. All ages are welcome. The Elmira Trombone Choir, comprising the OSFL trombone section and several other local trombonists, will kick off the festivities starting at 2:45 in the upper lobby. Tickets are $50, $40 and $20 for adults, and $10 for students with ID. Children under 18 are free with an adult ticket. Student and children tickets can be purchased by calling the box office at 607-734-8191 in advance. For more information, visit clemenscenter.org and OSFL.org. The Clemens Center is at 207 Clemens Center Parkway in Elmira.
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