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Top Holiday Activities and Christmas Events for Connecticut Kids

Santa Claus, and lots of holiday events and Christmas activities, are coming to town! Photo courtesy of Carl Bozenski Christmas Village
Santa Claus, and lots of holiday events and Christmas activities, are coming to town! Photo courtesy of Carl Bozenski Christmas Village
11/19/22 - By Jennifer Coe

The top holiday activities and Christmas events for Connecticut kids are on their way! Since time is so precious, Connecticut families want to make the most of the 2022 holiday season. With such a variety of festive activities to choose from, it's hard to know which one's are best. See one of the amazing light show that are put on annually, or local shows done for faithful visitors. If you are a train lover, this is the time of year to see amazing train displays. And lastly, if you have been meaning to get share live theater with you kids, all kinds of  Christmas shows will surely win them over!

For more fun in November or December, see our list of 25 Must-Do Christmas Events and Activities in New England and plan more good memories with our Connecticut Holiday Guide. 

For even more of latest and best family-friendly activities, follow Mommy Poppins on Facebook and Instagram.

 

Mystic will be aglow this holiday season. Lantern Light Village photo courtesy of the Mystic Seaport Museum
Mystic will be aglow this holiday season. Lantern Light Village photo courtesy of the Mystic Seaport Museum

Top Holiday Activities and Christmas Events in Connecticut - Lights and Decorations

Holiday Lights Spectacular at Olde Mistick Village

Mystic—November 18, 2022 - January 21, 2023
Olde Mistick Village has created an old fashioned Holiday Light Spectacular for you and your family. In fact, this event will be the largest holiday lights display in southern New England!  READ MORE

Fantasy of Lights at Lighthouse Point Park in New Haven

New Haven—November 18 - December 31, 2022
The Fantasy of Lights has become a holiday tradition for thousands of families from all over Connecticut and New England. The mile-long route features over 60 displays and 100,000 lights. Many of the displays are animated and some are fitted with LED bulbs, making them more colorful and vibrant.  READ MORE

Magic of Lights at Pratt & Whitney Stadium

East Hartford—November 23, 2022 - January 1, 2023
The Magic of Lights is a spectacular drive-through holiday lights display using the latest LED technology and digital animations. Enjoy the all-new drive-through Blizzard Tunnel as well as returning favorites including 12 Days of Christmas, Winter Wonderland, and The Night Before Christmas.  READ MORE

Carl Bozenski's Christmas Village

Torrington—Sunday, December 11, 2022
An annual family tradition 75 years in the making! A magical place that has decorated rooms where kids can meet both Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus. See the famous Toy Shop with the Elves hard at work as well as reindeer, seasonal lights and displays. READ MORE

Lantern Light Village

Mystic—December 2 - December 17, 2022
Lantern Light Village is an outdoor, free-roaming experience designed to exemplify the differences between the modern and 19th century holiday seasons. Take a journey through time as you seamlessly transition between the holidays you experience today and the holidays of the past. Enjoy festive lighting displays, live music, horse and carriage rides, fire pits, a visit from St. Nicholas, and more including holiday themed stories, crafts, and games! Premiering this year, Mystic Seaport Museum will be exploring the time-honored tradition of celebrating the holidays with ghost stories! READ MORE
Celebrate the sweetest time of year, Christmas 2022! Photo courtesy of the Wood Memorial Museum
Celebrate the sweetest time of year, Christmas 2022! Photo courtesy of the Wood Memorial Museum

Top Holiday Activities and Christmas Events in Connecticut - Festivals

The Wood Library & Museum's Annual Gingerbread House Festival

South Windsor—November 25 - December 18, 2022
One of the largest gingerbread house displays in New England features an incredible array of candy covered houses. The Festival will take place at Wood Memorial Library on Main Street in South Windsor, and rest assured that we will implement any precautionary measures to keep patrons safe. READ MORE

Greenwich Reindeer Festival & Santa's Workshop

Greenwich—November 25 - December 24, 2022
Santa and his three LIVE reindeer are returning to Greenwich for the 14th Annual Greenwich Reindeer Festival & Santa's Workshop. The cherished town tradition continues where visitors can have their photo taken with Santa, meet the reindeer and also enjoy the new Santa's Workshop, which provides more space for families while they wait in line for their photo with Santa. READ MORE

A Christmas Town Festival

Bethlehem—December 2 & 3, 2022
The beautiful 85’ tall Norway Spruce tree on the Bethlehem town green is the largest in the area and will be lit during Friday evening's opening ceremony. Enjoy live musical entertainment, children's crafts, a scavanger hunt, train ride (Friday only), hayride, photos with Santa, and craft and food vendors. READ MORE

Annual Santa's Farm at Indian Rock

Bristol—December 3 - December 11, 2022
Walk the grounds with Santa as you eat S'mores, drink hot chocolate, and sing carols. The farm will be lit up for the holidays. Each family will have a chance to talk to Santa and take pictures. READ MORE
Strike a pose with a goat reindeer for this year's holiday card. Photo courtesy of Bradley Mountain Farm
Strike a pose with a goat reindeer for this year's holiday card. Photo courtesy of Bradley Mountain Farm

Top Holiday Activities and Christmas Events in Connecticut - Holiday Happenings

Holiday Express Train Show

Fairfield—December 3, 2022 - January 2, 2023
Young and old alike delight in the large and small scale model trains winding around spectacular winter villages and beautiful holiday scenery. Members of the Fairfield-based Housatonic Model Railroad Club, the Connecticut G-Scalers Club, and the Central Connecticut G-Gaugers Club will be on hand to answer questions and point out details of the collectibles, classic trains, modular dioramas, and antique trains in this eye-popping holiday display. READ MORE

Visit Santa At The Shore Line Trolley Museum

East Haven—November 25 - December 18, 2022
Come and take a ride to visit Santa and grab your holiday photos!  Take a stroll through the decorated trolley barns and take a ride on a real antique trolley car.  The station and trolley yard will be decorated for the holidays so there are plenty of photo ops.   Dress for cool temps! Reservations are strongly suggested, and weekday group reservations are available upon request.  Tickets are $12 general admission.  Please contact the museum at reservations@shorelinetrolley.org or call 203-467-6927 for special times and rates.  READ MORE

Winterfest and the Tunnel of Lights

East Windsor—November 25 - December 30, 2022
 Halls are decked both inside and outside with over 15,000 lights. Outside, closed trolley cars transport jolly guests down a tunnel of lights as they sing traditional Christmas carols with their trolley car operators. For an open air view of the Tunnel of Lights, one open sleigh car is lit up entirely with holiday lights. Be sure to dress warm and bring blankets! Inside, the Visitor Center is decorated like a Winter Wonderland with multiple model train layouts and lights galore. A food vendor will be on-site serving hot cocoa, coffee, donuts and cookies up until December 19th. READ MORE

Holiday Carnival at Olde Mistick Village

Mystic—Saturday, December 3, 2022
Stroll around the Olde Mistick Village to view custom decorated wreaths, enjoy live music, visit with Santa, find great gifts, and more.  READ MORE

Reindeer Snuggles @ Bradley Mountain Farm

Southington—November 19 - December 18, 2022
Snuggle through the Holidays with Reindeer Goats! Spend time with Bradley Farm's "reindeer" goats. Get to know these gentle creatures and make  fun holiday memories. Minors cannot make reservations to handle a goat alone.  READ MORE

Top Holiday Activities and Christmas Events in Connecticut - Shows and Performances

The Fantastic Toyshop

Hartford—Saturday, December 3, 2022
It’s 1943, and it's Christmas Eve in Hartford. Virginia and her mother are preparing for the holiday. With Virginia’s father away at war, the season does not feel the same, but Virginia is still determined to make this Christmas special. READ MORE

Christmas Carol - A New Musical

Milford—December 2 - December 18, 2022
Pantochino’s Christmas Carol is a shiny bright, fun-filled, topsy-turvy musical adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic. A wild and wonderful, laugh-a-minute holiday experience for the entire family. Fast, frantic and fantastically funny! Cabaret Seating! Bring your own food and drink to enjoy during the show. READ MORE

The Santa Story at the Cabaret Theater

Bridgeport—November 26 - December 30
This Cabaret original is the heart-warming and hilarious story of a young St. Nick and his journey to becoming Santa Claus. The perfect blend of music, mayhem, and merriment for the whole family that is sure to have you ringing jingle bells this holiday season. READ MORE

A Charles Dickens Christmas

Hartford—December 10 - December 30, 2022
Charles Dickens, unable to find much joy in life, was struggling to write the Christmas story that will become the most famous holiday tale of all time. With the intervention of a magical muse, the elements of his famous A Christmas Carol begin to take shape. Dickens learns the true meaning of Christmas and finds in his past the inspiration for his immortal holiday classic. A Charles Dickens Christmas' rich musical score is sure to put the holiday cheer into every member of the audience. December 10 - 30, 2022 Saturday, 12/10: 2pm & 7pm Sunday, 12/11: 10am (Sensory... READ MORE

Christmas in Connecticut

East Haddam—November 18 - December 30, 2022
Goodspeed invites you to spend a very merry Christmas in Connecticut! Smart Housekeeping columnist Liz Lane, a famous expert on marriage, cooking and homemaking, is asked by her publisher to host a war hero for Christmas dinner at her renowned Connecticut farmhouse. The only problem? She can’t cook, she isn’t married and she lives in a tiny New York apartment. Based on the classic 1945 Warner Bros. film, this World Premiere musical comedy is a delightfully cheerful way to celebrate the holiday season! READ MORE

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