Christmas In CT: Where To Find The Lights, Parades, Music & Magic

CONNECTICUT — There’s no state extra Christmassy than Connecticut, and attempting to maintain monitor of each vacation occasion in your personal city — not to mention the remainder of the state — might be trickier than your aunt’s fruitcake.

Luckily, the Connecticut Tourism Office tracks each Santa diving shark and roping reindeer so we do not have to fret about it. Additionally, they’ve compiled a listing of suggestions for the discerning Santa under.

Whether all the experiences can rival Stonington’s one-of-a-kind lobster lure tree (above) is a matter of private choice, however one factor’s for certain: we have your ring-a-ling-a-ling, ding-dong-ding, precisely right here:

fantasy of lights
December 31 / Lighthouse Point Park, New Haven
Cruise by means of this shiny and colourful gentle present that illuminates Lighthouse Point Park for the vacation season.

coats for the season
Until Dec 30 / American Clock & Watch Museum, Bristol
The mantels within the museum’s eight galleries are embellished by members of the Bristol Museum Collaborative, who’ve created a variety of designs that showcase their historical past and collections.

magic of lights
1 January / Pratt & Whitney Stadium, East Hartford
A family-friendly drive-through Christmas lights competition that includes a large quantity of glowing and magical gentle exhibits to have a good time the largest vacation of the yr.

Holiday lights spectacular
Until January 31 / Olde Mistick Village, Mystic
Christmas lights with over half 1,000,000 lights beautify the sq. of Olde Mystic Village with retailers and eating places for households and vacation lovers.

Holiday Train Show
February 19 / Connecticut River Museum, Essex
This yr’s present is a real locomotive extravaganza and an ideal outing for railroad followers of all ages. She brings a 26-foot mannequin railway format with extra trains, new landscapes and plenty of surprises. Challenge your self to an I-SPY scavenger hunt for objects hidden within the shows and exhibition gallery.

Festival of Silver Lights
January 2 / Hubbard Park, Meriden
Illumination from greater than 350,000 glowing white lights. There are over 200 figures and buildings adorned with lights on this spectacular exhibition.

Winterfair: Hartford’s Holiday Market
Dec. 23 / Great Hall of Union Station, Hartford
Shop a variety of native distributors for distinctive reward gadgets.

Hebron Lion Lights in movement
Through January 1 / Hebron Lions Fairgrounds
The Hebron Lions Fairgrounds has been remodeled into a vacation gentle wonderland. This occasion is a novel expertise as guests can drive over a mile to see over 1,000,000 lights digitally synced to music.

Luminous Gardens
Through January 1 / Connecticut Convention Center, Hartford
Join a enjoyable, distinctive, family-friendly indoor competition of lights! Dazzling gentle gardens, glowing actions, scrumptious seasonal treats and stay leisure await you.

A vacation wonderland within the mansion
December 31 / Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum, Norwalk
This exhibition captures the magical pleasure of the vacation season with historic tree shows, classic toys, an exploration of the historical past of Christmas playing cards, a desk setting for a festive feast and glamorous Victorian clothes.

northern lights restricted
Through Dec. 23 / Railroad of New England, Thomaston
Under the quilt of darkness, witness the magic because the lights are lit inside and out of doors every carriage, bathing your complete practice in a gentle, cheerful glow. Upon departure, you’ll be taken straight to the North Pole and choose up Santa and Mrs Claus for all to see.

Christmas lights
Until December Thirty first / Lake Compounce, Bristol
Enjoy spectacular gentle exhibits across the park to your favourite Christmas music, beautify cookies, construct a gingerbread home and write a letter to Santa Claus.

vacation magic
Until December Thirty first / Florence Griswold Museum, Old Lyme
This yr the Krieble Galleries will characteristic over 220 pallets on 4 gorgeous pallet bushes.

Festival of Trees & Traditions
December 11 / Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford
Celebrate the vacations by having fun with bushes and wreaths embellished by neighborhood members, artists and organizations. All gadgets are on the market.

Holiday Express Train Show
January 2 / Fairfield Museum & History Center, Fairfield
The Useum is remodeled right into a winter wonderland the place vintage mannequin trains run by means of villages, mountainsides and snowy fields.

torchlight procession
10 Dec / City of Old Saybrook
More than 20 completely different fife and drum corps march alongside Main Street to Town Green, led by the bands of musicians would be the Foot Guards of the Governor’s 2nd Company.

On December Tenth, households within the coastal metropolis of Niantic will benefit from the vacation celebrations Niantic Light Parade.

Everyone’s favourite Lantern Light Guides return to the Mystic Seaport Museum this yr. Travel again in time and expertise a Christmas celebration like in a nineteenth century seafaring city.

Santa sightings

Santa’s purchasing cart
December 18 / The Shore Line Trolley Museum, East Haven
Take a trip to go to Santa in his particular tram that he arrange for social distancing. Santa’s elves are readily available to ensure each baby will get their free reward. Walk by means of the embellished trolley barns and take a trip on an actual vintage trolley automobile.

Winterfest & the Tunnel of Lights
December 30 / Connecticut Trolley Museum, East Windsor
Celebrating over 40 years of household vacation custom, the halls are adorned with hundreds of lightbulbs each in and out. Outside, enclosed trams transport merry visitors by means of a tunnel of lights whereas singing conventional Christmas carols.

Santa Express
Through Dec. 23 / Railroad Museum of New England, Thomaston
As the trains journey by means of the chilly winter wilderness, passengers can go to Santa and play along with his elves. Each baby additionally receives a particular reward from Santa’s personal toy bag.

Greenwich Reindeer Festival & Santa’s Workshop
Until December 24 / Sam Bridge Nursery & Greenhouse, Greenwich
The cherished metropolis custom continues for the thirteenth consecutive yr at this sprawling tree nursery, the place guests can have their picture taken with Santa, meet the reindeer and likewise take pleasure in the brand new Santa’s workshop.

Shark Diving Santa
Third-Thirty first Dec / Sea Aquarium, Norwalk
Santa will dive among the many sharks and swim over to the exhibit window to pose for images, so be sure you convey a digicam.

All aboard the Snow Clipper
Third-18th Dec / Danbury Railway Museum, Danbury
Take a trip on a classic practice by means of the historic marshalling yard to go to Santa and Mrs. Claus.

Heights & Lights
4 Dec / City of Stamford
From 22 tales excessive above downtown Stamford, you’ll be able to watch and cheer for Santa, Rudolph, the Grinch and pals as they make their daredevil descent, spin and fly from the highest of one in every of Stamford’s tallest buildings, Landmark Square. Then observe Santa and pals up Bedford Street to Latham Park for a night of Christmas music and depend right down to the annual lighting of Stamford’s Holiday Tree.

fortieth Annual Santa Claus Workshop
10-23 Dec / Wickham Park, Manchester
Visiting Santa and Mrs. Claus, elves making toys, in a log cabin with decorations and music and a hearth within the giant stone hearth.

Christmas Village – A convention in Torrington
11-24 December / 150 Church Street, Torrington
This magical place has particular person rooms to satisfy Santa and Mrs Claus, a toy store with busy elves, reindeer and seasonal lights and shows.

Music, Theater & Performing Arts

Christmas in Connecticut: A New Musical
Until December thirtieth / Goodspeed Musicals, East Haddam

It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play
Through Dec. 25 / Hartford Stage, Hartford

Mannheim Steamroller Christmas
Dec 6 / Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, Hartford

Cirque Dreams: Holidaze
Ninth-Tenth Dec / Toyota Oakdale Theatre, Wallingford

It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play
Ninth-18th Dec. / Sherman Playhouse/Sherman Players, Sherman

Hartford Symphony Orchestra: Holiday Cirque
Dec 10 / Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, Hartford

2022 Connecticut Ballet: The Nutcracker
Tenth-Eleventh Dec / Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, Hartford

Torrington Symphony Orchestra: A Christmas Concert
Dec 17 / Warner Theater

Hanukkah celebrations

Community Menorah Lighting in Celebration of Hanukkah:

• December 18 Grand Menorah Lighting at 3:45 p.m., 69 West Street, Litchfield
• 18 Dec Menorah Parade & Illumination at 5pm Charlotte Hungerford Hospital, 540 Litchfield Street, Torrington
• 18 Dec Menorah Parade & Illumination at 6pm Sharon Hospital50 Hospital Hill Road Sharon
• 18 Dec Menorah Parade & Illumination at 7pm New Milford Hospital21 Elm Street New Milford
• 19 Dec Light up BLVD at 5:15 pm Columbia Blvd, Waterbury
• 19 Dec Mishkan Israel Menorah Lighting at 6:00 p.m., Stratford Town Hall, 2627 Main Street, Stratford
• 20 Dec Menorah Lighting Waterbury Green at 18:15 West Main St., Waterbury
• twentieth December Mishkan Israel Menorah Illumination at 6pm, Easton Town Green, Easton
• 21 Dec Menorah Lighting at 7pm Wolcott Community Menorah Lighting Center Road, Wolcott
• 21 Dec Mishkan Israel Menorah Lighting at 6pm, Monroe Town Hall, 7 Fan Hill Road, Monroe
• 22 December Mishkan Israel Menorah Lighting at 6:00 p.m., Trumbull Town Hall, 5866 Main Street, Trumbull
• December twenty fifth Mishkan Israel Menorah Illumination at 6pm, Sherman Green, Reef Road, Sherman