101 Ideas for Holiday Family Fun in Hartford - 2024

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!

If you don't already receive our free weekly e-newsletter for Hartford, sign up today to make sure you're in the know about free stuff, festivals, classes, camps, vacation ideas, and all the best events near you! In the meantime, enjoy the ideas below for holiday family fun in 2024!

Santa Sightings

Multiple dates starting Nov 7, 2024 (Reservations Encouraged)	Santa's Flight Academy \| Photos with Santa \| W. Hartford
Multiple date starting Nov 7, 2024	Where Is Santa - Westfarms Mall
Multiple dates starting Nov 29, 2024	Santa Express — Railroad Museum of New England
Multiple dates starting Nov 29, 2024	Visit with Santa The Shore - Line Trolley Museum
Multiple dates starting Nov 29, 2024	Greenwich Reindeer Festival - Greenwich, CT
Multiple dates starting Nov 30, 2024	Visit with Santa - Powder Ridge Mountain Park & Resort
Dec 1, 2024	Sun, Moon, and Stars - Autism-Friendly Santa Express — Railroad Museum of New England
Dec 6, 2024	Holiday Stroll Open House — Keeler Tavern Museum
Multiple dates starting Dec 6, 2024	Santa’s Walking Wonderland - Environmental Learning Centers of Connecticut
Dec 6 & 7, 2024	Christmas Town Festival - Bethlehem, CT
December 7, 8,14,15,21 and 22, 2024	Visits With Santa - Flamig Farm
Dec 7, 2024	Santa at Auerfarm
Dec 7, 2024	Sparkle Holiday Tree Lighting at The Shops At Evergreen Walk \| South Windsor, CT
Dec 8, 2024	Crafts With Santa at The Kakery
Dec 8, 2024	Santa Visits the Holiday Express Train Show! \| Fairfield Museum and History Center
Dec 8, 2024	Photos With Santa - Westfarms - Sensory Santa
Dec 14 & 15, 2024	Santa Brunch with Mercato Italian Kitchen and Bar - The Shops at Farmington Valley
Dec 14, & 15, 2024	Santa is Coming to the Village! - At Nature's Art Village
Multiple dates starting Dec 12, 2024	Santa's Workshop - Wickham Park

Old-Time Christmas

Multiple dates starting Nov 29, 2024	Christmas By Candelight - Old Sturbridge Village
Multiple dates starting Dec 6, 2024	Lantern Light Village - Christmas Activities & Holiday Fun in Mystic, CT
Dec 6, 2024	Holiday Stroll Open House — Keeler Tavern Museum
Dec 7, 2024	Holiday Carnival at Olde Mistick Village
Dec 14, 2024	Winter Frolic 2024 - Historic Deerfield
Dec 14 & 15, 2024	Holiday Lantern Tours – Connecticut Landmarks

Light Displays

Multiple dates starting Nov 16, 2024	Events – Canton Historical Museum Gallary of Trees
Multiple dates starting Nov 18, 2024	Let's Celebrate! Stepping Stones Museum
Multiple dates starting Nov 22, 2024	East Hartford, CT - Magic of Lights
Nov 23, 2024	Holiday Stroll + Tree Lighting - The Shops at Farmington Valley
Multiple dates starting Nov 27, 2024	Bright Nights at Forest Park
Multiple dates starting Nov 29, 2024	Glow Hartford \| Holiday Interactive Light Festival & Market
Multiple dates starting Nov 29, 2024	Holiday Lights Spectacular - Olde Mistick Village
Multiple dates starting Nov 29, 2024	Holiday Lights \| Lake Compounce
Multiple dates starting Nov 29, 2024	Winterfest and the-Tunnel of Lights
Multiple dates starting Nov 30, 2024	Night of Lights: A Merry Christmas Hayride in Shelton
Multiple dates starting Nov 27, 2024	Hubbard Park Festival of Silver Lights Ceremony
Multiple dates starting Nov 29 - Dec 31, 2024	Home for the Holidays - Mystic Aquarium
Multiple dates starting Dec 5, 2024	FESTIVAL OF TREES & TRADITIONS Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art
Dec 5, 2024	Blue Back Square ::: Holiday Stroll
Dec 6, 2024	2024 Festival of Lights - Olde Mistick Village
Dec 6,7,13,14,20,21, & 22, 2024	Lantern Light Village - At Mystic Seaport Museum
Dec 7, 2024	WINTERFEST \| GoNorwichCT
Dec 14, 2024	Niantic Light Parade - Town of East Lyme

Holiday Theatre

Multiple dates starting Nov 29, 2024	Cirque Du Soleil: ‘Twas The Night Before Tickets \| Toyota Oakdale Theatre
Multiple dates starting Nov 30, 2024	Santa Story 2 - Downtown Cabaret Downtown Cabaret
Multiple dates starting Dec 4, 2024	A Christmas Carol (2024) — LegacyTheatreCT
Dec 7-8, 2024	The Nutmeg Ballet: The Nutcracker \| The Bushnell
Dec 7, 2024	Palace Theater \| Woodbury Ballet Nutcracker
Dec 20, 2024	Palace Theater \| A Celtic Christmas by A Taste of Ireland
Dec 21, 2024	HSO POPS! Series: Holiday Cirque! Sugar Plum Fantasy \| The Bushnell
Dec 21 & 22, 2024	Connecticut Ballet's 'The Nutcracker' \| The Bushnell
Jan 2 - 5, 2025	Disney on Ice - Into the Magic - XL Center Hartford

Holiday Concerts

Nov 24, 2024	Jim Brickman: Comfort & Joy \| The Bushnell
Dec 5, 2024	Travelers Chorale 100th Anniversary Concert \| The Bushnell
Dec 17, 2024	Cantica Navitatis: Nine Centuries of Christmas Music
Dec 21, 2024	Candlelight: Holiday Special Concert - South Congregational Church Hartford
Dec 22, 2024	Community Carol Sing, Mystic Seaport Museum
Dec 29, 2024	Adam Blackstone presents The Legacy Christmas Concert

Chanukah Events

Nov 24, 2024	20th Annual JCC Holiday Craft & Gift Fair \| Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven
Dec 25, 2024	Lighting of the Menorah- Parade Plaza – Downtown New London Association
Dec 29, 2024	Chanukah Fire on ICE \| Chabad of Greater Hartford

Kwanzaa Events

Dec 14, 2024	Kwanzaa Collective - Springfield Museums
Dec 26, 2024	Kwanzaa Lighting Celebration – Downtown New London Association
Dec 26, 2024 - Jan 1, 2025	Kwanzaa: Amistad Center

Christmas Tree Experience

Opening Nov 23, 2024	Dzen Tree Farm
Opening Nov 23, 2024	Jones Family Farm
Opening Nov 23, 2024	Pell Family Farm
Opening Nov 29, 2024	Christmas Home - Fairview Tree Farm

Active Holidays

Dec 7, 2024	Santa Made Me Do IT 5K - Bethlehem, CT
Dec 8, 2024	Blue Back Mitten Run
Dec 21, 2024	Roaring Brook Nature Center Winter Solstice Hike and Celebration

Ice Skating

Starting Nov 29, 2024	Winterfest Hartford
Open all year	Veteran's Memorial Ice Rink
Open all year	Public Skating at Amelia Park Arena
Open Nov & Dec	Norwich RoseGarden Ice Arena
See website	Public Skating - South Windsor Arena
See website	Champions Skating Center - Public Skating

Shopping & Craft Fairs

Multiple dates starting Nov 9, 2024	Flanders Artisan Marketplace
Nov 16, 2024	Indigenous Art Fair \| Mystic Seaport Museum
Multiple dates starting Nov 21, 2024	Holiday Boutique in the Barn: Keeler Tavern Museum
Nov 22 & 23, 2024	2024 Holiday Pop-Up Market \| Fairfield Museum and History Center
Nov 24, 2024	Holiday Craft Fair – Roaring Brook Nature Center Roaring Brook
Nov 24, 2024	Frosty's Christmas Festival \| Middlebury CT
Nov 24, 2024	20th Annual JCC Holiday Craft & Gift Fair \| Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven
Weekends starting Nov 30, 2024	Winterfair: Hartford's Holiday Market
Multiple dates starting Nov 30, 2024	Annual Holiday Market: Featuring Indigenous and Local Artisans \| The Institute for American Indian Studies Museum & Research Center
Nov 30, 2024	21st Annual Niantic Holiday Stroll - Niantic Main Street
Dec 3, 2024	19th Annual Craft & Gift Fair \| Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven
Dec 6 & 7, 13 & 14, 2024	Pratt Street Winter Village \| Outdoor Holiday Market
Dec 7, 2024	Access for All Community Day \| Holiday Makers Market \| New Britain Museum of American Art
Dec 14, 2024	Santa Shopping Stroll – Downtown New London Association

New Year's Eve

Dec 31, 2024	Kids Countdown to New Years with Steve Elci & Friends \| Mystic Seaport Museum
Dec 31, 2024	Noon Year's Eve! Beekley Library
Dec 31, 2024	Countdown to Noon - Niantic Children's Museum \| Niantic, CT

Miscellaneous

Nov 23, 2024	Jingle Bell Trolley 2024
Nov 23, 2024	Henry Whitfield State Museum, Guilford - Firelight Festival
Multiple dates starting Nov 29, 2024	Gingerbread House Festival – Friends of Wood Memorial Library and Museum
Multiple dates starting Nov 29, 2024	Merry Days & Jolly Nights in New London – Downtown New London Association
Weekends starting Nov 29, 2024	Winterfest - Powder Ridge Mountain Park & Resort
Dec 1, 2024	Trees in the Rigging \| Connecticut River Museum
Dec 1, 2024	Sun, Moon, and Stars - Autism-Friendly Santa Express — Railroad Museum of New England
Dec 1, 2024	Holidays & Horses \| Farmington Polo Club
Dec 6, 13 & 20, 2024	Storytime at An Unlikely Story: The Polar Express
Multiple dates starting Dec 6, 2024	Santa’s Walking Wonderland - Environmental Learning Centers of Connecticut
Dec 7, 2024	Grand Opening: Holiday Express Train Show \| Fairfield Museum and History Center
Muliple dates starting Dec 7, 2024	Holiday Express Train Show \| Fairfield Museum and History Center
Dec 7, 2024	Holiday Open House (Sensory-Friendly/Relaxed) \| The Bushnell
Dec 7, 2024	Sinterklaas Day and Dutch Holiday Traditions Children's Program
Dec 14, 2024	Family Fun Dayz: Winter Wonderland
Dec 14, 2024	Macaulay Culkin and A Screening of Home Alone
Dec 14, 2024	Joy Toy Drive at The Shops At Evergreen Walk \| South Windsor, CT
Dec 14, 2024	Build-a-Train Family Workshop \| Fairfield Museum and History Center
Dec 15, 2024	December's Sensory-Friendly Sunday Funday at Wistariahurst Museum
Dec 20, 2024	Sensory-Friendly Evening: Winter Wonder - Niantic Children's Museum \| Niantic, CT
Dec 21, 2024	Candy House Family Workshop \| Fairfield Museum and History Center

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.