Raise a hand if you're excited for the best holiday lights drive-thrus and Christmas light shows in Connecticut! Magic of Lights photo courtesy of the XL Center
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Families will wonder at the best neighborhood Christmas light displays in Connecticut this 2025 holiday season. Photo courtesy of Amarante's Winter Wonderland.
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Connecticut is full of happiness, joy, and free Christmas and holiday activities in 2025, like Santa at Cabela's Wonderland. Photo courtesy of Bass pro Shops
Free Holiday and Christmas Events in Connecticut for Kids 2025
Santa Claus is coming to town, for breakfast, brunch, and photos with Santa in CT! Photo by Anne Ogden for the Mystick Chamber of Commerce.
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All will be merry and bright soon, so get your tickets to these Christmas events in Connecticut! Stamford Holiday Wish photo courtesy of the author
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Find fun for all ages at these Connecticut attractions, museums, and things to do! Photo courtesy of the Yale Peabody Museum
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The kids can hang out and have fun with the top free things to do in Connecticut! Earthplace photo by Zoe Brown, courtesy of the center.
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Our ultimate Connecticut bucket list has all the things to do in Connecticut with kids! Mystic Seaport photo by author Kelly Patino
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Roll on in to the top birthday party places in Connecticut for teens and tweens in 2025! Photo courtesy of Bowlero
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By land, by sea, by river—however!— families are coming to the best Museums in Connecticut! Connecticut River Museum photo by Ally Noel for Mommy Poppins
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Hop aboard for a trip through Litchfield County and fun things to do with kids! Naugatuck Railroad photo courtesy of the Railroad Museum of New England.
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Costumed interpreters share stories of colonial life along the historic Mystic seaport. Photo courtesy of the Mystic Seaport Museum
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Bike the ground of Fort Trumbull. Photo courtesy Visit CT
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Cozy up to some holiday fun in Connecticut as December 2025 brings a little joy to the Nutmeg State! Photo courtesy of the Mystic Seaport Museum
Cozy up to some holiday fun in Connecticut as December 2025 brings a little joy to the Nutmeg State! Photo courtesy of the Mystic Seaport Museum
11/30/25 - By Jennifer Coe

Christmas lights and holiday activities are back this December, and that's just the beginning of all the top things do in Connecticut with kids this month.

Ho, Ho, Holy Moly, there's so much to do in Connecticut in December 2025. Many of the big lights shows have already opened up for patrons, including Glow Hartford - Indoor Holiday Light Festival & Market, The Festival of Silver Lights at Hubbard Park in Meriden and Holiday Lights Spectacular at Olde Mistick Village. But the fun doesn't stop there. Our family really loves the one-of-a-kind Connecticut pop-up events, like the Greenhouse Train Show at Elizabeth Park and Tea with Santa at Old Lyme Inn. And you certainly won't find another event lilke Heights and Lights in Stamford anywhere!

So, let us help you find a place to have Breakfast with Santa and Pictures with Santa Claus in Connecticut 2025 or where to find the Best Neighborhood Christmas Light Displays and Holiday Lights in Connecticut 2025. If you are looking for more holiday fun, our Complete Guide to Holiday and Christmas Events for Connecticut Families will certainly make your holiday merriment easier!

We’re adding more events to our family activity calendar every day, so don’t forget to check it frequently. Get our picks for every weekend in your inbox—sign up for our newsletters.

 

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Santa is soaring above Stamford again in December 2025! Heights and Lights photo courtesy of Downtown Stamford Special Services District
Santa is soaring above Stamford again in December 2025! Heights and Lights photo courtesy of Downtown Stamford Special Services District

Top Things To Do in Connecticut With Kids This December 2025

Glow Hartford - Indoor Holiday Light Festival & Market

Hartford
Through December 21, 2025
This winter, the Connecticut Convention Center will transform into a dazzling Christmas wonderland. Glow invites you to celebrate the magic of the season at a one-of-a-kind Holiday Light Festival and Market. READ MORE

Watershed History Collective's Annual Gingerbread House Festival

South Windsor
Daily through Sunday, December 21, 2025
One of the largest gingerbread house displays in New England features an incredible array of candy covered houses. The Festival will take place with the Watershed History Collective and will be held at NOMAD's this year.  READ MORE

Festival of Silver Lights at Hubbard Park in Meriden

Meriden
Daily through January 2, 2025
The Festival of Silver Lights at Hubbard Park in Meriden, Connecticut, is a beloved annual event that transforms the park into a magical winter wonderland with over 300,000 sparkling lights. Each year, the festival features an array of displays, including illuminated animals, trees, and intricate holiday scenes, all beautifully arranged around the park’s lake and walkways.  READ MORE

Holiday Lights Spectacular at Olde Mistick Village

Mystic
Daily through January 31, 2025
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

Snowland at Great Wolf Lodge

Mashantucket
All of December 2025
Snowland, an annual holiday celebration, is an immersive winter wonderland filled with special seasonal events, winter activities, crafts, visits with Santa Claus, and more.  READ MORE

K Pop Demon Hunters Roller Skate Night in Waterbury

Waterbury
Wednesday, December 3, 2025
Come down and skate with your favorite characters! READ MORE

Tiny Creatures, Big Lives at the Bruce Museum

Greenwich
Running through December 2025
Ants: Tiny Creatures, Big Lives brings visitors eye to eye with nature’s minuscule and marvelous super-insects. For every person on Earth, there are 2.5 million ants. These tiny dynamos form societies, construct complex homes, stockpile and cultivate food, and go to war with other colonies. READ MORE

2025 Holiday Events at The Shops at Yale

New Haven
Saturdays in December 2025
Join us this holiday season for fun & festive experiences that are free and open to the public, along with exciting shopping rewards.  READ MORE

Countdown to Cheer at Mohegan Sun

Mashantucket
December 4, 2025 - January 1, 2026
The most magical time of the year is almost here and Mohegan Sun is ready to make it unforgettable with Countdown to Cheer – a month-long celebration filled with festivities, daily specials, and live entertainment. READ MORE

Greenhouse Train Show at Elizabeth Park

West Hartford
Friday, December 5 - Friday, December 12, 2025
Celebrate the holiday season at the Elizabeth Park Conservancy’s 2nd Annual Greenhouse Train Show in the Sweetland-Patricelli Greenhouse Complex! This year’s show will highlight the history of Hartford trolleys through informative signage and two working trolley tracks, celebrating the city’s transit heritage. READ MORE

Frost and Wonder Circus in Norwalk

Norwalk
Friday, December 5, 2025
Step into the magic of Frost and Wonder! Featuring a charismatic Ringmaster, dazzling circus acts, and audience participation, this winter spectacle brings sparkling snowflakes, gravity-defying stunts, whimsical characters, and frosty surprises to life. A heartwarming holiday production by Westchester Circus Arts, perfect for the whole family. READ MORE

Holiday Stroll in Ridgefield

Ridgefield
Saturday & Sunday, December 5 & 6
Ridgefield, are you ready to stroll into the holiday season? T Save the dates for a weekend of merry-making, music, and more. READ MORE

Tea with Santa at Old Lyme Inn

Old Lyme
Saturdays, December 6 & 13, 2025
The Holidays are here and we are so excited for afternoon tea! Delight in the holidays with tea sandwiches, petite sweets, scones and an endless cup of Harney & Sons. READ MORE

Holiday Magic at Lyman Orchards

Middlefield
December 6-21, 2025
It's the most wonderful time of the year, and the Lyman Homestead is sparking with holiday cheer! Capture the spirit of the holidays and enjoy a festive horse-drawn wagon ride, plenty of photo ops and a stroll through the Lyman Homestead. Enjoy live seasonal performances at the Apple Barrel while sipping on delicious hot cocoa and indulging in our famous bakery treats! READ MORE

Heights and Lights in Stamford

Stamford
Sunday, December 7, 2025
From 22 stories high above Stamford Downtown, watch and cheer for Santa Claus, Rudolph, Grinch and friends as they make their descent, twisting and flying from the top of one of Stamford’s tallest buildings, Landmark Square followed by a festive fireworks show. READ MORE

Annual Santa's Workshop at Wickham Park

Manchester -
December 13-23, 2025
Enjoy an enchanted visit with Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus and the elves in the beautiful log cabin nestled at the highest point in the park. This is a traditional, family friendly event. There are no sponsorships or commercialization of the event and it is free for everyone.  READ MORE

Night of Lights: Hayrides with Santa at Fairview Tree Farm

Shelton
Weekends until December 21, 2025
Join Fairview Tree Farm for a magical night of holiday lights at their annual Christmas nighttime hayride! A 30-minute tractor pulled wagon will take you through our decorated and lit tree fields and holiday scenes. Visit with Santa, Mrs. Claus, the Grinch, and more! Holiday Spirit throughout our farm! Sit by a cozy bonfire while sipping on tasty treats. READ MORE

Santa Visits the Mystic Aquarium

Mystic
Weekends in December 2025
Santa Claus is coming to town...and coming to Mystic Aquarium for photographs! Visit your favorite animals, explore our exhibits, and meet Jolly Old Saint Nick with a special photo opportunity for all ages. What a great way to celebrate the ho-ho-holidays! READ MORE

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About the Author

Jenny Coe
Jenny Coe is a longtime Mommy Poppins writer and contributor and full-time mom to three boys. Jenny has also been a contributor at Patch and The Reminder (Hartford Courant). Here at Mommy Poppins, Jenny writes about great things for kids to do in Connecticut and New England, affordable fun, and nature experiences (her favorite!).
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