Last updated: November 11, 2024
Get ready for festive excitement in Middletown! Our guide features all the exciting holiday happenings. For Middletown devotees and casual admirers, this guide is your ticket to seasonal splendor.
Popular Events: Experience a winter wonderland at the Bethlehem Christmas Town Festival, where visitors can enjoy local crafts, holiday music, and festive treats. Famous for its stunning light displays, the Glow Gardens in Hartford transforms the park into a magical spectacle after dark. And the Olde Mistick Village's Holiday Lights Spectacular is something you definitely don't want to miss, offering enchanting lights and seasonal shopping. See more details on these and other fun events and activities below!
Contact information and details below.
Spectacular light displays and festive activities.
Lake Compounce's Holiday Lights features Connecticut's tallest Christmas tree, nightly light shows, and a variety of family-friendly rides and activities, including meet-and-greets with Santa, cookie decorating, and a Kids New Year's Eve Bash.
Where: Bristol | More Info: Holiday Lights at Lake Compounce
Holiday light display on historic trolleys.
Celebrate the holiday season with over 15,000 lights at the Connecticut Trolley Museum. Ride through a tunnel of lights in closed trolley cars while singing Christmas carols, and enjoy an open-air view in a lit sleigh car. The Visitor Center is decorated with model train layouts and lights galore.
Where: East Windsor | More Info: Winterfest & the Tunnel of Lights
Largest holiday light display in southern New England.
Olde Mistick Village is decorated with over half a million lights throughout its 40 shops and restaurants, creating a festive atmosphere for families and holiday enthusiasts.
Where: Mystic | More Info: Olde Mistick Village's Holiday Lights Spectacular
Interactive light gardens and illuminated structures from around the world.
Glow Hartford is an indoor holiday light festival featuring interactive light gardens, illuminated structures, seasonal food and drinks, family-friendly activities, and a festive holiday market.
Where: Hartford | More Info: Glow Gardens in Hartford
Community tree lighting with live music and Santa Claus.
The Middletown Tree Lighting Ceremony is a festive event where the community gathers to illuminate the town square with a grand tree lighting, accompanied by live music and the presence of Santa Claus.
Where: Middletown | More Info: Middletown Tree Lighting Ceremony
Community-driven holiday light display at the harbor.
The Milford Buoy Tree Lighting Ceremony is an annual event held at Lisman Landing, Milford Harbor, featuring a festive display of lights and community participation.
Where: Milford | More Info: Milford Tree Lighting Ceremony
Illuminated tree lighting ceremony with a six-foot star of Bethlehem.
The Bethlehem Tree Lighting Ceremony is a festive event featuring a large decorated tree, entertainment, and hot chocolate, culminating in the lighting of the 85-foot tree.
Where: Bethlehem | More Info: Bethlehem Tree Lighting Ceremony
Community-driven holiday event with diverse activities and vendors.
St. Pius X Church Holiday Fair offers a variety of activities and vendors, including a huge tag sale, free hayrides, and holiday-themed items.
Where: Middletown | More Info: St. Pius X Church Holiday Fair
"Seed-to-plate concept with locally sourced menu items."
Heirloom Market at Comstock Ferre is a natural foods grocery store and café offering local, organic, GMO-free groceries, gardening supplies, and heirloom seeds. The café serves locally roasted coffee, espresso drinks, and freshly baked pastries and bread. The menu features hand-crafted breakfast and lunch sandwiches, panini, soups, and salads made from seasonal locally sourced ingredients.
Where: Wethersfield | More Info: Heirloom Market at Comstock Ferre
Live demonstrations by local artisans and a performance by TUBACHRISTMAS.
The Danbury Holiday Craft Fair features over a dozen local artisans and crafters showcasing handcrafted jewelry, crystal artwork, fiber arts, candlemaking, and painting. Enjoy live demonstrations and the chance to win tickets to the Danbury Music Centre's Nutcracker. Meet a visiting elf for holiday photographs and create kids' holiday arts and crafts. The event also includes a performance by TUBACHRISTMAS, a group of local volunteer tuba and euphonium musicians.
Where: Danbury | More Info: Danbury Holiday Craft Fair
Features local artisans offering handmade items in a historic mansion setting
The Wadsworth Mansion Holiday Bazaar brings together local artisans and crafters showcasing unique handmade gifts and seasonal treats. Visitors can stroll the historic grounds, appreciating the mansion's stunning architecture while browsing a variety of booths filled with creative works. This event is an opportunity to support local talent while finding distinct items for holiday gifting.
Where: Middletown | More Info: Wadsworth Mansion Holiday Bazaar
Largest decorated Christmas tree in the area.
The Bethlehem Christmas Town Festival is an annual event featuring a tree lighting ceremony, illuminated fire truck procession, 5K road race, and classic vehicle exhibition and decorating contest. It includes activities like photos with Santa, hayrides, and a scavenger hunt, all centered around the largest decorated Christmas tree in the area.
Where: Bethlehem | More Info: Bethlehem Christmas Town Festival
Free ice skating and Santa photos in a festive park setting.
Winterfest Hartford offers free ice skating, free skate rentals, and free learn-to-skate classes in Bushnell Park. Families can also visit Santa for a free 5×7 printed photo. The event features various activities and events throughout the season.
Where: Hartford | More Info: Hartford's Winterfest
Traditional holiday parade with live entertainment and festive floats.
The Middletown Holiday Parade features a festive procession of horses, floats, and bands culminating in Santa and Mrs. Claus's arrival on Main Street.
Where: Middletown | More Info: Middletown Holiday Parade
Interactive Santa meet-and-greet with reindeer and elves.
Visit Torrington Christmas Village at 150 Church Street, where children and adults can meet Santa, Mrs. Claus, and four reindeer, and each child receives a small gift. Enjoy hot cocoa and explore the village's festive atmosphere.
Where: Torrington | More Info: Torrington Christmas Village
