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, it’s 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.

It’s easy to see why Corning was named one of best town to experience at Christmas!

The Rockwell Museum hosts their annual Gingerbread Invitational. I attended my first event in 2021. 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.*

It’s fun to be a tourist in your hometown. I 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, I 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 show.
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.

My plates, bowls and baking dishes are all Corningware, a piece of home with me always! There are several antiques shops on Market Street where you can find some vintage Corningware or Corelle pieces.

There are plenty choices of where to eat in the Gaffer District. My most favorite is Atlas Brick Oven Pizzeria, I’ve always stopped here every time. Their gourmet pizzas are just out of the world! Aniello’s Pizzeria is another popular locals favorite pizza joint on Market Street. The 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’ll always suggest that people visit this beautiful historical small town! It’s not a far drive from New England region for a long weekend getaway!