Christmas in Rome, NY

Click here to see some of the absurd Christmas displays in Rome, NY.

Ham

This entry was posted on Saturday, December 8th, 2007 at 2:29 pm and is filed under Travel - NY. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

7 Responses to Christmas in Rome, NY

  1. Jennifer Paul says:
    November 26, 2008 at 10:43 pm

    yeah..I am from Rome Ny..these displays are odd..I agre..but here my friends is the true story…
    Thwere an attraction at the former Trinkus Manor restaurant, now burned down..they are very old. Everyone used to drive up to the restaurant to see them during the holiday season. They were donated to the city after it burned down..

    Reply
  2. Marie says:
    December 7, 2008 at 7:55 pm

    Jennifer is right. These may look strange, but it’s very cute in person. When I was a child, I used to beg my parents to drive through Trinkaus Manor to see the lights and displays at Christmas time.

    The City of Rome did not build these displays. (Trinkaus Manor wasn’t even in Rome.) They date back to the 60’s, and were built by the brothers that owned the restaurant. They are a nice memory to most of us, who enjoyed them when we were very young, before Trinkaus was burned down.

    The fairy-tale, nursery-rhyme themes may not be about Christmas, but I think when they were made, the idea was to entertain kids. Back then, kids actually liked reading the three little pigs, and playing with rocking horses, etc. Now, unfortunately, it’s fashionable to mock these things. It’s just a nice reminder of a simpler time, and I still think it’s adorable every year.

    Here’s a site I found with some pics of the lights at Trinkaus Manor: http://www.angelfire.com/ny5/oriskany/TrinkausManor.htm
    (It’s not my website, so I apologize for the “burn in hell” comment at the bottom of that page. Geez — people get really worked up about things!) Enjoy the pics!

    Reply
    • projectabsurd says:
      December 7, 2008 at 9:40 pm

      Jennifer & Marie,

      Thank you for the information! That was a very interesting story about the displays. Please don’t take offense at my little “tribute”. It was not meant in a mailicious way or anything, I was just trying to have a little fun with it. Our site ( http://www.projectabsurd.com ) is actually a tribute to all of the out of the ordinary things that we enjoy. I love things that are a little bit “different”, like the Christmas displays in Rome. I hope they’re displayed for many years to come!

      Thanks again,
      HAM

      Reply
  3. Pat says:
    March 5, 2009 at 6:04 pm

    I, too, live in Rome, NY. I was born her eons ago and used to go to Trinkaus “to see the lights”. There are also large, “covering the building” Christmas displays, like the poinsettias on the parking garage. (I used to love the lit up “running” Paul Revere on his horse, too. I kind of wish they would turn it back on!). Anyway, I digress. I love the photos and your poem is great! I lived in the DC area for many years, and even though it is COLD here and a much more rural area (I’m not used to that anymore); I love driving through here to “show my grandson the lights”. I think it will be something he remembers when he gets older-and there aren’t many of those things anymore. Good photos /poem, no offense taken, and actually, it’s nice to see stuff from here on the web! Interesting site you have!

    Reply
  4. Carlos says:
    March 23, 2009 at 6:43 am

    I was wondering what happened to that “running” Paul Revere sign? Does it exist and where is it. I looked for it where I think it used to be but couldn’t find it. Any information?

    Reply
  5. Pat says:
    April 23, 2009 at 7:29 pm

    I think the Paul Revere sign is still there. Of course, it’s never lit up; but I have seen it a couple of times since I have been back (last 2 years). You can see it from the road-just can’t remember exactly where. It’s either off 365 -kind of by the bowling alley, only in the city more; or off to the side when you come back into Rome from Westmoreland. I think it’s off 365-my mom used to point it out to us (when it was working), way back in the 50’s and 60’s, to be “magical and pretty” (and keep us quiet) coming home from family gatherings, when everybody was tired and cranky. Boy, I miss that ole sign! Take a look down there, Carlos, and see if you can find it. It does set back away from the road. Good luck!

    Reply
  6. Amy says:
    October 13, 2012 at 9:45 pm

    There are praying hands somewhere, too, that say, “Peace.” I, too, used to love going to see the lights at Trinkaus when I was a kid in the 70s/80s, and I too, used to beg my parents to take me there every year. I was so glad when I discovered that Rome had all the displays. Such memories!

    Reply

Leave a comment