Holiday light shows in Greater Hartford start now. Here’s where to find them

With more than 500,000 holiday lights and the towering 100-foot-high Christmas tree that it bills as the tallest in Connecticut, Lake Compounce will launch its annual Holiday Lights show on Friday evening.

Between then and the closing night on Dec. 31, the amusement park will hold several charity fundraisers on some of its Holiday Lights evenings, and will host a Pawliday Lights version Dec. 10 when families are invited to bring their dogs and make donations to the Meriden Humane Society.

Lake Compounce’s show is among the major holiday light festivals around the state that either just started their seasons or are getting underway right after Thanksgiving.

The holiday season at the amusement park kicks off Friday at 5 p.m. with the arrival of Santa and a ceremony to light the enormous tree on the plaza between the ticket booths and the admission gates.

“We’ll have all of our characters out, we’ll have hot cocoa cups for everybody, lots of festive music,” said Meg Forno, marketing director.

Since Halloween, employees have been busily taking down Phantom Fall Fest’s spooky decorations and putting up strings of lights, artificial snowmen and holiday-themed decor. Holiday Lights will be open through Dec. 31 on Fridays from 5 to 9 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 3 to 8 p.m. Admission is $20, and $15 for children and seniors.

The rollercoasters and thrill rides are closed until April, but many of the kiddie rides will be operating through Holiday Lights along with the carousel, bumper cars and the train, which is being redecorated as the North Pole Express. Children are invited to win prizes if they successfully search the park for displays showing each of the 12 days of Christmas.

“We’ll have a lot of activities to get kids into the holiday spirit,” Forno said. “There will be pictures with Santa, a make-your-own snow globe activity for kids, buy-an-ornament and personalize it for free, letter writing to Santa.”

From Dec. 1 to 3, the $10 parking fee is waived for customers who bring winter gear to donate to the Bristol Boys & Girls Club. From Dec. 8 to 10, there’s free parking for anyone bringing a pet supplies donation for the Meriden Humane Society, and between Dec. 15 and 17, parking is free for those bringing nonperishable goods or personal care items for Bread For Life.

And for every season pass sold on Nov. 28, the park will donate one 2024 single-day ticket to the Boys & Girls Club of Bristol.

A sampling of other major holiday-themed light displays in Connecticut:

Magic of Lights, East Hartford

WFSB and Hartford are not doing Holiday Light Fantasia at Goodwin Park this year, but the new Magic of Lights show will be at Rentschler Field across the river.

It’s a drive-through experience with LED lights and digital animation, and is scheduled to open Thanksgiving night at 5 p.m. From then through Dec. 31, its schedule is Mondays to Thursdays from 5 to 9 p.m., and Fridays to Sundays from 5 to 10 p.m.

Ohio-based Family Entertainment Live is running more than 20 similar shows around the country and in Canada. Ticket prices in East Hartford range from $18.50 to $23.50 for cars and $60 for a tour bus.

Tunnel of Lights, East Windsor

The Connecticut Trolley Museum turns its museum and trolley ride into a holiday-themed winterfest starting Thanksgiving evening.

There are more than 15,000 lights indoors at the museum and arching over the trolley tracks.

“Trolley cars transport jolly guests down a tunnel of lights for 20 to 30 minutes as they sing traditional Christmas carols with their trolley car operators. For an open air view of the Tunnel of Lights, one open sleigh car is lit up entirely with holiday lights,” the museum staff said in a statement.

The rides are offered on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 30. Advance purchase is required, and ticket prices range from $16 to $21.

Glow Gardens, Hartford

The Connecticut Convention Center is the scene of Glow Gardens, which promotes itself as being twice as big as last year’s version and having a million lights to illuminate gardens and structures. It advertises a Christmas-themed children’s scavenger hunt, free pictures with Santa and his elves, a track-less “Glow-comotive” ride, seasonal food, family activities and a holiday market.

The indoor display is open during daylight hours, mostly late morning to dinnertime but daily schedules vary. The show operates Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 23, and will be open for two Thursdays: Dec. 14 and 21.

Tickets must be bought in advance through glowgardens.com/hartford-christmas. Admission is for a specific day and time; organizers say the exhibit takes about two hours to tour. Tickets are $29 for adults, $23.50 for children and $19 for seniors. A $105 family rate is also available.

Festival of Silver Lights, Meriden

Hubbard Park hosts a free drive-through light show with more than 350,000 white lights and more than 200 characters and scenes ranging from elves and reindeer to camels, bears and wooden soldiers. There is an opening ceremony Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. with music and hot chocolate, followed by the lights being turned on around 6:15 p.m. Admission is free and the park will be open for drive-throughs every night through Jan. 1.

Home for the Holidays, Mystic

Mystic Aquarium celebrates its 50th anniversary with a display of lights outside as well as indoors.

“A choreography of dancing lights will be showcased in various areas of the campus on select evenings from 6 to 9 p.m., and will feature music from iconic holiday movie favorites,” aquarium staff said in a statement. “Aquarium-goers will be able to enjoy the Arctic Coast Beluga Exhibit, Pacific Northwest, main indoor aquarium gallery, as well as the newly renovated courtyard. The aquarium will offer fun and festive activities, live music performances and holiday character meet-and-greets on select nights.”

Festivities begin Nov. 24 at 6 p.m. and continue on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 30 from 6 to 9 p.m. Admission is $25, or $20 for members.

Fantasy of Lights, New Haven

In its 29th year, this nighttime light extravaganza is a fundraiser for Goodwill of Southern New England. Vehicles drive through a roughly 15-minute long showing of lighted figures and scenes, and can tune in to the accompanying holiday music on the car radio. It opens every evening at 5 o’clock through Dec. 31 at Lighthouse Point Park. Closing time is 9 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays, 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
Admission is $10 per car or family van, $25 per minibus and $5 for a full-size bus.