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Glow Hartford, Holiday Wish Express, and More Fun Things To Do in CT This Weekend

Connecticut is lighting up with family fun all weekend long! Photo courtesy of Holiday Wish Express
Connecticut is lighting up with family fun all weekend long! Photo courtesy of Holiday Wish Express
11/19/25 - By Jennifer Coe

Looking for the best things to do in Connecticut this weekend? Here are some family-friendly events and activities to add to your list!

This weekend some of Connecticut's biggest and best Holiday activities of 2025 begin! Experience an immersive experience at the North Pole at the Holiday Wish Express in Stamford. At Glow Hartford - Indoor Holiday Light Festival & Market, the Connecticut Convention Center is transformed by thousands of twinkling lights. This year, follow the Yellow Brick Road to the Opening Night Holiday Lights Spectacular at Old Mystic Village. Or step back in time at the Dinosaur Place's event Dino Lights Winter Festival - where prehistoric dinos are donned with sparkling lights.

Personally, I love smaller, more homey events like the Jewitt City Snowflake Parade, where families gather along the roadside to see all sorts of decorated floats go by. The best holiday events are right here every day!

More Things To Do in Connecticut This Week with Kids:

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Best Things To Do this Weekend in Connecticut with Kids

Disney On Ice presents "Jump In" in Bridgeport

Bridgeport
All Weekend, November 20-23, 2025
Disney On Ice presents Jump In! - a dazzling new show where Disney magic comes alive on the ice. With over 50 fan-favorite characters, thrilling stunts, and spectacular music, families will journey into timeless Disney stories and meet new characters from Moana 2 and Inside Out 2 for the first time. READ MORE

Glow Hartford - Indoor Holiday Light Festival & Market

Hartford
Opening Friday, November 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

Opening Night Holiday Lights Spectacular at Old Mystic Village

Mystic
Opening Friday, November 21, 2025
Friday Night, November 21st, kicks off our Holiday Season, including extended store hours until 8pm on Friday and Saturday nights. Nearly 500,000 lights will light up Olde Mistick Village. READ MORE

Out of This World Sensory Friendly Evening at Niantic Children's Museum

Niantic
Friday, November 21, 2025
Join NCM for a special evening, which is free for families with children on the autism spectrum or with sensory processing challenges. During this event, the Museum will be made more welcoming to our more sensitive guests, along with having some quiet corners and sensory bins set-up throughout the facility. READ MORE

Mystic Holiday Light Show

Mystic
Opening Night Friday, November 21, 2025
Back for its second season in 2025, the Mystic Holiday Light Show™ in North Stonington, Connecticut is nearly twice as many displays shining brighter than ever — now under new management!Experience a mile of magic as you drive through hundreds of dazzling, larger-than-life holiday displays that dance in sync to festive music broadcast right to your car radio. READ MORE

The Enchanted Forest in Greenwich

Greenwich
Friday and Saturday, November 21 & 22
The Junior League of Greenwich presents The Enchanted Forest: North Pole Edition at Greenwich Botanical Center, Nov. 21-22. The weekend kicks off with a festive cocktail party on Friday, followed by a day of family fun! Enjoy photos with Santa, gingerbread house decorating, and shopping at our Holiday Boutique and Children’s Giving Shop. We’ll have activities everyone knows and loves, as well as a few new additions. READ MORE

Holiday Wish Express in Stamford

Stamford
Opening Night Saturday, November 22, 2025
All aboard for an all-new magical journey to the North Pole! Experience the Holiday Wish Express like never before with new featured themed areas, delightful new characters, and so much more! Don’t miss the largest indoor Christmas event in the Northeast—where holiday magic comes to life! READ MORE

Thanksgiving Pie and Cake Decorating Class at Ben and Jerry's

Canton
Saturday, November 22, 2025
Get creative at Ben & Jerry’s Canton! Decorate 2 mini ice cream pies with your favorite flavors & toppings. Get ready to whip up some Thanksgiving fun. READ MORE

Dino Lights Winter Festival

Montville
Opening Saturday, November 22, 2025
The Dinosaur Place brought together the awe of the Jurassic period and the magic of the holidays. It’s an immersive, joyful experience we can’t wait to share with our community. Step back in time and into a winter wonderland as you walk an enchanting trail illuminated by thousands of twinkling lights and populated by life-sized, festive dinosaurs. The unique experience offers holiday cheer and excitement for the whole family. READ MORE

Jewitt City Snowflake Parade

Jewitt City
Saturday, November 22, 2025
A parade for the whole family! Decorate a "float" or just come to watch. Santa Claus leads the procession, perched atop a beautifully adorned float. The parade will include marching bands in festive uniforms, twirling dancers in sequined costumes, and intricately crafted floats adorned with twinkling lights   READ MORE

Lobster Trap Tree Lighting Ceremony and Display

Stonington
Saturday, November 22, 2025
Celebrate the talents of more than 100 local artists and families who created beautiful hand-painted buoys that make up this giant Lobster Trap Tree. Together with thousands of colorful lights, this display will be the ideal family photo location this holiday season. Opening Night: November 22 READ MORE

Breakfast with Santa at Danbury Fair Mall

Danbury
Saturday, November 22, 2025
 You're Invited to Danbury Fair & Chick-Fil-A Breakfast with Santa at Kidz Klub!  Ho, ho, ho! Get ready for a magical morning filled with holiday cheer at Kidz Klub, the ultimate indoor playground.  READ MORE

Swiftie Experience at the Bijou

Bridgeport
Sunday, November 23, 2025
Calling all Swifties! Join the Bijou Theatre for the ultimate kids Swiftie Experience! Participate in Live Sing-Alongs, a Dance Party, Photo Ops, Friendship Bracelet Exchange -  Dress in your era and bring the energy — this is your moment to shine like the pop queen herself.  READ MORE

Princess Party at Velvet Mill

Stonington
Sunday, November 23, 2025
A royal adventure awaits! Join Rapunzel & Ariel for an unforgettable day of songs, stories, and sparkle.  READ MORE

Stamford Downtown Parade Spectacular

Stamford
Sunday, November 23, 2025
The holiday season will officially kick off in Stamford Downtown on November 23, 2025 with the annual Stamford Downtown Parade Spectacular, one of the largest of its kind in the country. 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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