101 Ideas for Holiday Family Fun in Hartford - 2022
KidsOutAndAbout is Hartford's online guide to everything for kids, teens, and families! The activities we've listed here are confirmed for this year, but many require reserving ahead of time, and please keep in mind that events could be canceled... so click through to make arrangements. Enjoy the holidays!
If we're missing an activity that should be on our list, please email Mindy Mangan at mindy@kidsoutandabout.com. Please make sure to include a link to the event when you email. Thank you!
Below are items that have been posted to our calendar. If you are affiliated with a business hosting a holiday event that should be on our calendar, we'd love to see it there... it's free to post! Click here for instructions about how to add your organization to our list and easily post your events to our calendar!
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Santa Sightings
Chanukah Events
| Dec 11, 2022 | Mandell JCC of Greater Hartford It’s Almost Chanukah! |
| Dec 18, 2022 | Latkes & RELISH 2022! - Solomon Schechter Day School of Greater Hartford |
| Dec 18 - 23 & Dec 24-25, 2022 | Mandell JCC of Greater Hartford CHANUKAH: Eight Nights of Light |
Old-Time Christmas
| Multiple Dates beginnning Nov 25, 2022 | Christmas By Candelight - Old Sturbridge Village |
| Dec 1, 2021 - Jan 6, 2022 | Wishing Trees – An Exhibit - The Shops at Farmington Valley |
| Dec 2, 2022 | Holiday Stroll Open House - Keeler Tavern Museum |
| Dec 3, 2022 | Holiday Carnival at Olde Mistick Village |
| Dec 3 & 4, 2022 | Victorian Holiday Tour – Connecticut Landmarks |
| Dec 4, 2022 | Holiday Family Sunday - Keeler Tavern Museum |
| Dec 4, 2022 | Christmas in Clinton OPEN HOUSE |
| Dec 8, 2022 | Candlelight Stroll Webb Deane Stevens Museum Stroll |
| Dec 17, 2022 | Candy House Workshop |
Light Displays
| Multiple Days Starting Nov 14, 2022 | Worldwide Lights Celebration at Stepping Stones |
| Multiple Nights Starting Nov 18, 2022 | Magic of Lights- East Hartford |
| Nov 18 - Jan 31, 2023 | Holiday Lights Spectacular at Olde Mistick Village |
| Multiple Dates Starting Nov 19, 2022 | Holiday Lights at Lake Compounce |
| Multiple dates starting Nov 20, 2022 | Gallery of Trees - Canton Historical Museum |
| Thanksgiving Night - Jan 2, 2022 (Thurs-Sun) | Holiday Light Fantasia |
| Nov 24 - Jan 1, 2022 | Festival of Silver Lights - Hubbard Park |
| Weekends Nov 25 - Dec 30, 2022 | Winterfest and Tunnel of Lights |
| Nov 27 - Jan 3, 2022 | Worldwide Lights Celebration at Stepping Stones |
| Dec 1, 2022 | Holiday Stroll + More Winter Wonders - The Shops at Farmington Valley |
| Dec 1, 2022 | Holiday Stroll 2022 - West Hartford Chamber of Commerce |
| Dec 1, 2022 | Winter Wonders Tree Lighting - The Shops at Farmington Valley |
| Multiple dates starting Dec 2, 2022 | Lantern Light Village - At Mystic Seaport Museum |
| Dec 3, 2022 | WINTERFEST PARADE |
| Dec 4, 2022 | Holiday Buoy Tree Lighting - Milford |
| Dec 9, 2022 | Festival of Lights - Olde Mistick Village |
| Dec 9, 2022 | Festival Of Lights - At Mystic Aquarium |
| Dec 10, 2022 | Niantic Light Parade - Town of East Lyme |
Holiday Theatre
| Nov 18, 19, 2022 | Elf the Musical (Touring) at Oakdale Theatre |
| Nov 22, 2022 | The Illusionists: Magic Of The Holidays at The Bushnell |
| Nov 25, 2022 | World Ballet Series presents The Nutcracker at Palace Theater - Waterbury |
| Nov 26, 27, 2022 | Ballet Theatre's Nutcracker at The Bushnell Center |
| Nov 27, 2022 | SENSORY FRIENDLY- Ballet Theatre's Nutcracker at The Bushnell Center |
| Multiple Dates Starting Nov 30, 2022 | A Christmas Carol at The Legacy Theatre |
| Dec 3, 2022 | Holiday Open House at Bushnell Center (Sensory Friendly Event) |
| Dec 3, 4, 2022 | Cirque De Light - Stepping Stones Museum |
| Dec 9, 10, 2022 | Cirque Dreams Holidaze at Oakdale Theatre |
| Dec 10, 11, 2022 | Connecticut Ballet presents 'The Nutcracker' at The Bushnell |
| Dec 10, 2022 | Holiday Cirque! - Hartford Symphony Orchestra |
| Dec 11, 2022 | A Charles Dickens Christmas (Sensory Friendly) |
| Dec 31, 2022 | Hip Hop Nutcracker - The Bushnell Center |
Holiday Concerts
| Nov 17, 2022 |
Disney Princess: The Concert at Oakdale Theatre |
| Dec 6, 2022 |
Mannheim Steamroller Christmas at The Bushnell |
| Dec 10, 2022 |
Holiday Cirque Spectacular with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra! |
| Dec 10, 2022 | |
| Dec 12, 2022 |
Canadian Brass Holiday Show at The Bushnell |
| Dec 15, 2022 | |
| Dec 16, 2022 | |
| Dec 17, 2022 |
In The Christmas Mood with The Glenn Miller Orchestra at the Bushnell |
Christmas Tree Experience
| Multiple dates starting Nov 19, 2022 (Closed Thanksgiving) | Dzen Tree Farm |
| Multiple dates starting Nov 19, 2022 (Closed Thanksgiving) | Jones Family Farm |
| Opening Nov 25, 2022 | Cedar Ledge Tree Farm |
| Opening Nov 25, 2022 | Pell Family Farm |
Active Holidays
| Nov 25, 2022 | Black Friday Hike- Flanders Nature Center |
| Dec 3, 2022 | Santa Made Me Do IT 5K - Bethlehem, CT |
| Dec 4, 2022 | Blue Black Mitten Run |
Ice Skating
| Winterfest Hartford - Nov 26-Jan 20, 2022 |
| Veteran's Memorial Ice Rink |
| Norwich RoseGarden Ice Arena |
| South Windsor Arena |
Shopping & Craft Fairs
| Nov 12, 2022 |
2022 Continuum Holiday Bazaar - New Haven, CT |
| Multiple Dates starting Nov 12, 2022 | |
| Nov 13, 2022 | |
| Nov 19-20, 2022 |
Annual Pop Up Market- Fairfield Museum and History Center |
| Nov 20, 2022 |
Holiday Craft Fair - Roaring Brook |
| Nov 20, 2022 | |
| Nov 19, 20, 2022 |
Pop Up Market - Fairfield Museum and History Center |
| Multiple Days Starting Nov 26, 2022 |
Annual Holiday Market - The Institute for American Indian Studies |
| Multiple Days starting Dec 2, 2022 |
Wreath Display & Silent Auction - NBMAA |
| Dec 4, 2022 |
Craft and Gift Fair at JCC of Greater New Haven |
| Dec 10, 2022 |
Mountainside Holiday Market at Powder Ridge |
New Year's Eve
| Dec 29, 30 & 31, 2022 | New Year's Crafts and FUN @ the Library! - Bristol Public Library |
| Dec 31, 2022 | Countdown to Noon - Stepping Stones Museum For Children |
| Dec 31, 2022 | New Year's Eve Torchlight Parade at Ski Sundown |
Miscellaneous
| Nov 19, 2022 |
Bristol Parks, Recreation, Youth and Community Services: Stuff-A-Cruiser |
| Drop off letters Nov 20 - Dec 19, 2022 | |
| Nov 22 - Feb 19, 2023 |
29th Annual Holiday Train Show - the CT River Museum |
| Nov 25 - Dec 18, 2022 |
Gingerbread House Festival – Friends of Wood Memorial Library and Museum |
| Nov 27, 2022 |
Trees In The Rigging Boat Parade - CT River Museum |
| Dec 2, 2022 | |
| Dec 3, 2022 |
Holiday Express Train Show Opening Night at Fairfield Museum |
| Dec 3, 2022 |
Paper Wreath Family Workshop at Fairfield Museum |
| Dec 3, 2022 | |
| Dec 3 & 4, 2022 | |
| Dec 4, 2022 | |
| Dec 11, 2022 |
Torrington Parks and Recreation Department: Opening Day Parade 2022 Christmas Village |
| Gifts should be provided for distribution by Monday, December 19, 2022. |
Bristol Parks, Recreation, Youth and Community Services: Holiday Gift Giving Program |
| Dec 22, 2022 |
Holiday PANDA BEAR visits the Fairy Tale Forest! - Bristol Public Library |
The following are items that have been added to our calendar, both virtual and in-person. If your business has upcoming events for the holidays, please click here for information about how to post it to our calendar.