There’s a kind of December magic that settles over small towns like a dusting of soft snow—the kind Norman Rockwell painted with glowing windows, rosy-cheeked children, and neighbors gathering beneath lamp-lit streets. In Penn Yan, that magic arrives each year with
StarShine, the beloved holiday kickoff hosted by the
Yates County Chamber of Commerce.
It’s the night Main Street becomes a living Christmas painting—full of twinkling lights, warm greetings, and those small, perfect moments that make the season feel like home.
📅 StarShine 2025
Saturday, December 6, 2025
5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Lights on Wheels Parade at 6:30 PM
A History Brushed in Soft Holiday Glow
StarShine began in the mid-1980s, born from a simple desire shared by neighbors and shopkeepers: a night to welcome the holiday season together. What started with a few strands of lights, some music, and friendly greetings has grown into one of Penn Yan’s most cherished December traditions.
But even as the event expanded, StarShine never lost the soft, familiar heartbeat of its beginnings—the feeling that Main Street itself leans in a little closer, offering warmth to everyone who walks it.
Main Street, Painted in Holiday Charm
Imagine the scene:
Snowflakes drifting lazily beneath garland-wrapped lampposts.
Storefront windows glowing with golden warmth.
The hum of holiday music mixing with the chatter of bundled-up families.
Children tugging excitedly on mittened hands.
Neighbors greeting each other as though no time has passed at all.
This is StarShine. And this year is the 40th Anniversary.
As you stroll along Main Street, you’ll find:
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Local vendors offering handcrafted holiday treasures
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Warm treats & festive drinks sending curls of steam into the crisp December air
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Live entertainment that wraps the village in cheerful melody
🛍️
Holiday shopping, with windows decorated like tiny storybook scenes
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Children’s activities that spark wonder and delight
And the beloved experiences that make StarShine shine:
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Horse-drawn wagon rides, clip-clopping through the heart of the village
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Petting zoo, where children meet soft noses and gentle eyes
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A strolling magician, adding flickers of wonder to the evening
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Face painting, with tiny artists transforming cheeks into reindeer and snowflakes
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Elf School games, echoing with laughter and playful holiday spirit
✨ Lights on Wheels Parade – 6:30 PM
As the sky deepens to winter blue, a hush settles over Main Street—quiet, hopeful, full of anticipation.
Then the glow begins.
The
Lights on Wheels Parade rolls through town in a brilliant procession of color and imagination. Decorated tractors, floats, vehicles, and displays shimmer with thousands of lights, each one a tiny star in motion.
Children wave wildly.
Parents smile softly.
And for a moment, Penn Yan feels like the inside of a snow globe—alive with joy.
A Tradition Made Possible by Community
Events like StarShine are built on heart, dedication, and the quiet, steadfast spirit of a community that shows up year after year.
To the volunteers who bundle up, set up tents, guide families, pour cocoa, hang lights, wrangle extension cords, coordinate activities, and quietly keep the entire evening running—your hands and hearts are the reason this night feels so magical. StarShine simply wouldn’t shine without you.
To the local merchants and Main Street businesses, who decorate windows, stay open late, donate supplies, greet visitors with warm smiles, and help create the storybook charm that makes Penn Yan feel like home—thank you for giving your time, your creativity, and your holiday spirit.
To all of the sponsors, whose generosity allows this cherished tradition to grow brighter each year—your support keeps the lights glowing, the music playing, and the magic alive.
A heartfelt thank you to the Yates County Chamber of Commerce for bringing this beloved celebration to life each December with vision, care, and community pride.
And deep appreciation to their presenting sponsor, Keuka Housing Council, whose dedication helps StarShine shine as brightly as ever—illuminating Main Street and the hearts of all who gather there.
Where Memories Gather and Hearts Come Home
StarShine isn’t just an event—it’s a homecoming.
It’s the warmth of a steaming cup of cocoa against cold mittens.
It’s the grin of a child meeting a baby goat.
It’s running into people you’ve known forever but haven’t seen since the summer breeze faded.
It’s Main Street looking exactly the way a small-town Christmas should feel.
StarShine is a page from a holiday storybook—and year after year, we step right back into its glow.
Bundle up.
Bring your loved ones.
And join us on Main Street as Penn Yan once again becomes a real-life Christmas painting.
— With nostalgia, warmth, and hometown cheer,
⭐ Why It Matters (At Least to Me)
Maybe it’s nostalgia talking.
Maybe it’s the way this town feels stitched into my bones.
Or maybe it’s simply the truth:
StarShine reminds us who we are.
A community that gathers.
A community that shows up.
A community that still believes in small miracles, warm lights, and traditions that outlast decades.
Every time I walk down Main Street on StarShine night, I feel like I’m stepping into all my Christmas memories at once — the childhood ones, the teenage ones, the adult ones, all layered together like snowfall that never fully melts.
And every year, when the last float passes and the lights begin to dim, I feel grateful — grateful that Penn Yan still shines in all the right ways.
Because here, on the north end of Keuka, Christmas doesn’t just arrive.
It returns home.
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#KeukaRoots #StarShineMemories #PennYanChristmas #MainStreetMagic #StayRootedStayKeuka
