"It's a Wonderful Life" in Seneca Falls!

If you're like me, you have a special place in your heart for Frank Capra's holiday classic It's a Wonderful Life. You can probably quote lines like, "Every time a bell rings an angel gets its wings." Maybe you even sing along with Buffalo Gals. But what do you know about the real Bedford Falls?

You may not realize it, but it's widely believed that Frank Capra modeled his village of Bedford Falls after the Rochester area's very own Seneca Falls. Frank Capra is believed to have passed through Seneca Falls on his way to visit relatives in Auburn in 1945, just a year before It's a Wonderful Life came out. The movie makes reference to Buffalo, Rochester, and other upstate New York locations, but the similarities don't end there!

Like Bedford Falls, Seneca Falls is located on a canal and has a steel truss bridge similar to the one George Bailey jumped from to save Clarence. It is also filled with Second Empire Victorian homes like Bedford Falls, has globe street lamps like those seen in the movie, and much more. You can read about all the eerie similarities here!

Residents of Seneca Falls are so certain their town was the inspiration for Bedford Falls, they hold an annual It's a Wonderful Life weekend! This year, the event takes place from December 12th through 14th, 2008. Events include screening of It's A Wonderful Life narrated by Karolyn Grimes, who played ZuZu in the film, pictures with Santa, train and horse-drawn wagon rides, dinner with Zuzu, and much, much more! You can see the complete calendar of events for this year's festival here.

Whether it really is the inspiration for Bedford Falls or not, Seneca Falls is a quaint, beautiful village in its own right. Take the time to visit the It's a Wonderful Life festival in Seneca Falls, and I guarantee you'll be filled with the Christmas Spirit!