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

CONNECTICUT — There is no more Christmas-y state than Connecticut, and trying to follow every holiday event in your own town — let alone the rest of the state — can be harder than your aunt's fruitcake.

Fortunately, the Connecticut Tourism Office keeps track of every shark-diving Santa and rappelling reindeer so that we don't have to. What's more, they've put together a list of recommendations for the discerning Yule-o-phile, below.

Whether all the experiences measure up to Stonington's one-of-a-kind lobster trap tree (above) will be a matter of personal taste, but one thing is certain: we've got your ring-a-ling-a-ling, ding-dong-ding, right here:

Fantasy of Lights
Through Dec. 31 / Lighthouse Point Park, New Haven
Drive through this bright and colorful light display illuminates Lighthouse Point Park for the holiday season.

Mantels for the Season
Through Dec. 30 / American Clock & Watch Museum, Bristol
The mantels in the museum’s eight galleries are decorated by members of Bristol's Museum Collaborative who have created a wide range of designs that showcases their history and collections.

Magic of Lights
Through Jan. 1 / Pratt & Whitney Stadium, East Hartford
A family-friendly drive-through holiday lights festival with a tremendous amount of twinkling and magical light displays to celebrate the grandest holiday of the year.

Holiday Lights Spectacular
Through Jan. 31 / Olde Mistick Village, Mystic
Holiday light display with over a half-million lights decorate the Olde Mystic Village square of shops and restaurants for families and holiday enthusiasts to enjoy.

Holiday Train Show
Through Feb. 19 / Connecticut River Museum, Essex
A true locomotive extravaganza and a perfect outing for train fans of all ages, this year's show brings a 26-foot model train layout with more trains, new scenery, and lots of surprises. Challenge yourself to an I-SPY scavenger hunt for objects hidden throughout the displays and exhibit gallery.

Fesitval of Silver Lights
Through Jan. 2 / Hubbard Park, Meriden
Illumination of more than 350,000 twinkling, white lights. There are over 200 figures and buildings that are decorated with the lights in this spectacular display.

Winterfair: Hartford's Holiday Market
Through Dec. 23 / Great Hall at Union Station, Hartford
Shop a large selection of local vendors for unique gift items.

Hebron Lion Lights in Motion
Through Jan. 1 / Hebron Lions Fairgrounds
The Hebron Lions Fairgrounds has been transformed into a holiday light wonderland. This event is a one-of-a-kind experience as visitors get to drive over a mile to view over one million lights digitally synchronized to music.

Glow Gardens
Through Jan. 1 / Connecticut Convention Center, Hartford
Join in on a fun, one-of-a-kind, family-friendly indoor festival of lights! Dazzling light gardens, glowing activities, delectable seasonal treats, and live entertainment are all in store for you.

A Holiday Wonderland at the Mansion
Through Dec. 31 / Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum, Norwalk
This exhibit captures the magical excitement of the holiday season with historic-era tree displays, vintage toys, an exploration of the history of Christmas cards, a holiday dinner party table setting, and glamorous Victorian gowns.

Northern Lights Limited
Through Dec. 23 / Railroad of New England, Thomaston
Leaving under the cover of nightfall, experience the magic as the lights inside and out of each car are lit, illuminating the entire train in a soft, cheerful glow. Upon departure, you will be taken directly to the North Pole, picking up Santa and Mrs. Claus for all to see.

Holiday Lights
Through Dec. 31 / Lake Compounce, Bristol
Enjoy spectacular light shows around the park set to your favorite holiday music, decorate cookies, build a gingerbread house, and write a letter to Santa.

Holiday Magic
Through Dec. 31 / Florence Griswold Museum, Old Lyme
This year there will be over 220 palettes on four stunning palette trees in the Krieble Galleries.

Festival of Trees & Traditions
Through Dec. 11 / Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford
Celebrate the holidays by enjoying trees and wreaths decorated by community members, artists, and organizations. All items are for sale.

Holiday Express Train Show
Through Jan. 2 / Fairfield Museum & History Center, Fairfield
The ,useum is transformed into a winter wonderland, with antique model trains traveling through villages, mountainsides, and snowy fields.

Torchlight Parade
Dec. 10 / Town of Old Saybrook
More than 20 different fife and drum corps march along Main Street to the Town Green, leading the musician groups will be the 2nd Company Governor's Foot Guard marching unit.

On Dec. 10, in the shoreline town of Niantic, families will enjoy the holiday festivities during the Niantic Light Parade.

The ever-popular Lantern Light Tours return this year to Mystic Seaport Museum. Step back in time and experience a celebration of a Christmas as it was in a 19th-century seafaring town.

Santa Sightings

Santa's Trolley
Through Dec. 18 / The Shore Line Trolley Museum, East Haven
Take a ride to visit Santa on his special trolley car, which he’s set up for social distancing. Santa’s elves will be standing by to make sure every child gets their free gift. Walk through the decorated trolley barns and take a ride on a real antique trolley car.

Winterfest & the Tunnel of Lights
Through Dec. 30 / Connecticut Trolley Museum, East Windsor
Celebrating over 40 years of family holiday tradition, halls are decked both inside and out with thousands of light bulbs. Outside, closed trolley cars transport jolly guests down a tunnel of lights as they sing traditional Christmas carols.

Santa Express
Through Dec. 23 / Railroad Museum of New England, Thomaston
As the trains travel through the cold winter wilderness, passengers will be able to visit Santa and play with his elves. Each child will also get a special gift from Santa’s own toy bag.

Greenwich Reindeer Festival & Santa's Workshop
Through Dec. 24 / Sam Bridge Nursery & Greenhouse, Greenwich
The cherished town tradition continues for the thirteenth consecutive year at this expansive nursery where visitors can have their photo taken with Santa, meet the reindeer and also enjoy the new Santa's Workshop.

Shark-Diving Santa
Dec. 3-31 / Maritime Aquarium, Norwalk
Santa dives among the sharks and swims over to the exhibit window to pose for pictures, so be sure to bring a camera.

All Aboard the Snow Clipper
Dec. 3-18 / Danbury Railway Museum, Danbury
Take a ride in a vintage train through the historic rail yard to visit Santa and Mrs. Claus.

Heights & Lights
Dec. 4 / City of Stamford
From 22 stories high above Stamford's Downtown, watch and cheer for Santa Claus, Rudolph, Grinch, and friends as they make their daredevil descent, twisting and flying from the top of one of Stamford’s tallest buildings, Landmark Square. Then follow Santa and friends up Bedford Street to Latham Park for an evening of holiday music and join in the countdown of the annual lighting of Stamford’s Holiday Tree.

40th Annual Santa's Workshop
Dec. 10-23 / Wickham Park, Manchester
Visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus, elves making toys, set in a log cabin with decorations and music, and a fire in the great stone fireplace.

Christmas Village - A Tradition in Torrington
Dec. 11-24 / 150 Church Street, Torrington
This magical place features individual rooms to meet both Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus, a toy shop with elves hard at work, reindeer, and seasonal lights and displays.

Music, Theater & Performing Arts

Christmas in Connecticut: A New Musical
Through Dec. 30 / 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
Dec. 9-10 / Toyota Oakdale Theatre, Wallingford

It’s a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play
Dec. 9-18 / Sherman Playhouse/Sherman Players, Sherman

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

2022 Connecticut Ballet: The Nutcracker
Dec. 10-11 / Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, Hartford

Torrington Symphony Orchestra: A Holiday Concert
Dec. 17 / Warner Theatre

Hanukkah Celebrations

Community Menorah lightings in celebration of Hanukkah:

• Dec. 18 Grand Menorah Lighting at 3:45 p.m., 69 West Street, Litchfield
• Dec. 18 Menorah Parade & Lighting at 5:00 p.m. Charlotte Hungerford Hospital, 540 Litchfield Street, Torrington
• Dec. 18 Menorah Parade & Lighting at 6:00 p.m. Sharon Hospital50 Hospital Hill Road Sharon
• Dec. 18 Menorah Parade & Lighting at 7:00 p.m. New Milford Hospital21 Elm Street New Milford
• Dec. 19 Light Up the BLVD at 5:15 p.m. Columbia Blvd, Waterbury
• Dec. 19 Mishkan Israel Menorah Lighting at 6 p.m., Stratford Town Hall, 2627 Main Street, Stratford
• Dec. 20 Menorah Lighting Waterbury Green at 6:15 p.m. West Main St., Waterbury
• Dec. 20 Mishkan Israel Menorah Lighting at 6 p.m., Easton Town Green, Easton
• Dec. 21 Menorah Lighting at 7:00 p.m. Wolcott Community Menorah Lighting Center Road, Wolcott
• Dec. 21 Mishkan Israel Menorah Lighting at 6 p.m., Monroe Town Hall, 7 Fan Hill Road, Monroe
• Dec. 22 Mishkan Israel Menorah Lighting at 6 p.m., Trumbull Town Hall, 5866 Main Street, Trumbull
• Dec. 25 Mishkan Israel Menorah Lighting at 6 p.m., Sherman Green, Reef Road, Sherman