Holidays

Holidays

          This sampling of photos from selected holidays, like my previous “Seasons” post, departs from the explicit travel focus of most of my posts on this blog. But as with “Seasons,” many of the photos here entailed some travel. And besides, it’s my blog so I guess I can do what I want! I’ll focus primarily on Halloween & Christmas, the most colorful & decorated holidays.

Halloween

          I began the “Seasons” post with fall, so it seems appropriate to begin here with Halloween. Halloween can be spooky. 

 

But mostly it just seems fun. 

 

Gardens and farm stands get into the spirit 

and stores 

and houses & buildings 

In 2025 I gathered quite a few Halloween images from around Albany and into Maine

Ellms Farm in Ballston Spa does a drive-through Pumpkin Glow and Light Show. 

Other Halloween displays at Altamont Fairgrounds. 

and The Incredible Naumkeag Pumpkin Show

joined one year by Mary Ann & Paul

          Marjorie especially likes Halloween decorating our house & yard 

and decorating herself, me, 

our boy

and then his boys. 

Her skills came together for a Halloween wedding: bride & groom and guests in costumes 

including the Wizardess and Professor Bumblebore.

Marjorie made an appropriately ghoulish wedding cake. 

Halloween blurs into Thanksgiving, a time for family gathering 

Just past Halloween: the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. 

  

                                                        







More gatherings in Queens

Other times home in Latham

sometimes with other guests

and one year in Disney World

Christmas

 

           Christmas is another colorful season full of photo ops. I'll start with our links to travel. NYC is always decked out for the holidays: Rockefeller Plaza 

colorful store windows 

and the Radio City show 

The Jackson Heights area of Queens, where our son and family live, also has some nice holiday decorations. 

Blessed Sacrament church has a particularly impressive Christmas tableau.

Other cities also have colorful displays: San Francisco 

Boston 

Custom
House 

Quincy
Market

Chicago 

Kansas City 

Frankenmuth MI 

Buffalo's Albright-Knox Gallery & Niagara Falls Festival of Lights 

and Sydney, Australia 

lovely Christmas markets along the Rhine, where Marjorie & her sister took a river cruise

and Disney World is a spectacle (we were there at Thanksgiving)

  

 

Closer to home, Rhinebeck along the Hudson has beautiful decorated store windows.

Saratoga is beautiful, especially store windows at night, 

and nearby is a light show put on by "Quick Response."

 

Local festivals have included Glens Falls & Cohoes, 

at St. Pius,

Lake George, 

Ulster,

with Santa at the Pruyn House

images in Vermont

And we've enjoyed visits to mansions decorated for the season.

 

There's plenty of seasonal color close to home: Albany's Empire State Plaza 

State Capitol

 

and "Lights in the Park" 

Schenectady's "Festival of Trees"

Santa Trains in Milford NY 
 

Empire State Youth Orchestra's "Melodies of Christmas, in which our son performed for a number of years 

And other holiday concerts: my own Mendelssohn Club at the Egg in Albany 

and our friend Marlene's concert at Bard College.

Lots of colorful local house decorations

 

other seasonal displays

Santa comes through our neighborhood

And our own home gets plenty festive, too! 

with our boy 

his boys,






 




and our cat, "Hobbles"

Plus colorful & yummy baking 

 

I'll finish with "The Reason for the Season" at St. Pius X

4th of July

We've enjoyed fireworks in NYC

Cohoes

New Years

Pasadena Rose Parade with the Bengtsons

Saratoga

Easter

 

I don’t have so many Easter photos in my archives, but here are some that run from the ridiculous to the sublime. I'll start with the ridiculous

including two generations of bunnies.

Marjorie's decorations move us more to the sublime. 

and neighbors Mary Anne & Paul

 
And Easter celebrations at St. Pius X.

 

E Bunny makes an appearance at the Pruyn House.

Valentine's Day