ROCHESTER (WBEN) - While New York City boasts of its Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, Rochester has a seasonal tradition of its own to light up.
The Genesee Keg Tree will be lit Friday night, two days after the Rockefeller Tree lights up Midtown Manhattan.
While not as traditional as the Rockefeller tree, the Genesee Keg Tree pays homage to the brewery and the 600-plus employees who work there. Built by brewery employees and retirees, the Keg Tree stands three stories high, consists of 532 kegs and has over 30,000 holiday lights. On Friday night, thousands of people are expected to attend the lighting ceremony.
"There's nothing more Rochester than thousands of people gathering to light up a keg tree and drink cold beer in December," said Jaime Polisoto, brand director for Genesee. "The Genesee Keg Tree Lighting includes a huge party with beer trucks, food trucks and a tree that flashes along to holiday music. It has become a highly anticipated tradition that signals the start of the holiday season."
Last held in 2019, 7,000 people attended the iconic Rochester holiday tradition and thousands more visited throughout the holiday season.