Music:
Kristin Chenoweth, Emmy and Tony Award winning star takes the stage at the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts on the UConn campus at Storrs Saturday 8pm. She will perform songs from her 2 most recent albums “For the Girls” and “Happiness is Christmas.” Tickets $25 & $35. www.jorgensen.uconn.edu
Don't miss A Bing Crosby Christmas Starring Jared Bradshaw and featuring the music of the Andrews Sisters Friday 8pm, Saturday at 3 & 8pm and Sunday at 2pm at the Goodspeed Operahouse in East Haddam. Tickets $40-$50. www.goodspeed.org
Celebrate the holidays with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra at Holiday Cirque Spectacular on Saturday at 2 pm and 7 pm in Mortensen Hall at The Bushnell in Hartford. These concerts will be conducted by Carolyn Kuan and feature members of the renowned Cirque de la Symphonie. Tickets start at $27. 860-987-5900 or www.hartfordsymphony.org
Earth Wind & Fire originally scheduled for tonight has been postponed to February 4, 2022. Original tickets will be honored. www.mohegansun.com
Marian Meadows Annual Holiday Show will be at Toad’s Place in New Haven Saturday. Doors open at 8pm with the show at 9pm. Special guests Bob Baldwin, Elon Trotman and Alex Bugnon. Tickets $30. www.toadsplace.com
Theater:
Comedian and television host Howie Mandel returns to Mohegan Sun Arena for one hilarious night on Saturday at 7:30pm. Tickets are $25. www.mohegansun.com
Hartford Stage, 50 Church Street, Hartford is proud to present “It’s A Wonderful Life – A Live Radio Play” now through December 28. Enjoy this imaginative spin on a Holiday classic as the show is performed in the fashion of a 1940’s radio show on stage. Tickets $30-$100. www.hartfordastage.org or 860-527-5151
Cirque Dreams Holidaze is Friday 8pm at the Toyota Oakdale Theater in Wallingford. Tickets at www.LiveNation.com
Events:
MoheganSunCasino.com’s Winter Wonderland Escape Room is open at The Shops at Mohegan Sun, and it brings festive fun for the whole family to enjoy. To take advantage of the free escape room experience, groups must have at least one person that is 21+ and registers an account at MoheganSunCasino.com.
Sunshine Video, a colorful video rental store that was once the home base for guests to escape the Sunshine Slasher, is now decked out for the holiday season, complete with tributes to holiday movie classics, and a gif making station with a winter wonderland maze that boasts seven winter vignettes perfect for Instagrammable moments, family photos and making memories to last for years to come. But the real order of the day is to solve Sunshine Video’s latest escape room dilemma.
A disgruntled employee was transported into the movie “Naughty or Nice” and has destroyed Santa’s List. Can the new employees get the Naughty or Nice list back together before Christmas Eve? It’s up to the newest Sunshine Video team members to find out! MoheganSunCasino.com’s Winter Wonderland Escape Room is open Thursdays and Fridays from 3:00pm – 9:00pm and Saturdays and Sundays from Noon – 10:00pm. MoheganSunCasino.com‘s Winter Wonderland Escape Room will be closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
The Hartford Wolfpack game scheduled for Friday has been postponed due to the rise in covid cases. Please get more information at www.hartfordwolfpack.com
Holiday Light Fantasia continues till January 2, 2022 5-10pm Thursday through Sunday. This beautiful collection of over one million lights is situated along a nearly two-mile drive through Goodwin Park at 1130 Maple Avenue on the Hartford/Wethersfield, Connecticut line (conveniently off I-91). Whimsical holiday sights, familiar characters, and local tributes shine bright in over 200 individual displays. The lighted animations celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah, New Year’s, and Three Kings Day. The event is a benefit for the Channel 3 Kids Camp.
At just $16 per car when purchased online ($20 at the gate) this holiday tradition is affordable family fun! New for 2021, we are reintroducing the “Find Flurry the Dog” contest, sponsored by Guida’s Dairy! Guests are encouraged to help us find our mischievous friend among the lighted displays for a chance to win a week of camp for a child! To find out more and to purchase tickets, please visit www.holidaylightfantasia.org
Lake Compounce’s Holiday Lights includes lights and Connecticut’s Tallest Christmas Tree! Plus park goers will find a unique holiday menu featuring warm drinks and comfort foods, plus more activities than ever before, including Elf Boot Camp, Letters to Santa, Cookie Decorating and a variety of rides and attractions. Family favorite rides make a return this winter, with attractions including Drop Zone, Drum Circus, the North Pole Railway and American Flyers open throughout the season.
For the first time ever, the park will open Booficer’s Haunted Holiday, a new spin on the park’s fan-favorite Ghost Hunt ride. Guests will also have the chance to meet the big man in red himself – Santa! Holiday Lights at Lake Compounce will run Fridays from 5 – 9 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays from 4 – 9 p.m. through January 1, except Christmas Day. Single-day tickets will be available online soon, with prices starting at $19.99 for adults and $17.99 for kids. www.lakecompounce.com
The Hebron Lions Lights in Motion can be found at the Hebron Fairgounds Thursdays through Sundays through New Year’s Day. www.lionslightsinmotion.org
Winterfest in Bushnell Park offers free ice skating, free rentals & free learn-to-skate programs daily from 11am to 8pm through January 9, 2022. To learn about other Winterfest activities, www.winterfesthartford.com
The Magic of Lights family-friendly drive-through brings holiday joy to all ages runs now through January 2nd at Pratt & Whitney Stadium, 615 Silver Lane, East Hartford. Ticket prices vary from online discounted at $30 up to $70 depending on vehicle and day visited. Enjoy a drive through experience with over one million twinkling lights and festive scenes to celebrate the Season including Candyland, Toyland, Sports Row, 12 Days of Christmas and the notorious Enchanting Tunnel of Lights. Some scenes are as high as 32-feet tall and as long as several hundred feet. For more information, visit www.magicoflights.com/easthartford
The Witch's Dungeon Classic Movie Museum opens their 2nd annual "MONSTERS HOLIDAY" running through Jan. 9th - every weekend, Fri.
thru Sun. - 6pm to 9pm. (closed on Christmas Dec. 25th) - located at 103 East Main Street in Plainville. CT. - by appointment - call or leave a message - 860-583-8306 two days in advance - Besides our displays of original movie makeup & props, all our sets & figures will be decked out for the season, plus vintage toys from the 50's, 60's & 70's - Take a photo for a unique Christmas Card. This is our 55th consecutive season for the museum in CT. www.preservehollywood.org
Gillette Castle will be open for self-paced tours from 10 a.m.
until 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday weekends through December 19. Each day's final tour starts at 4 p.m. Tickets are $6 and may be obtained at the Castle entrance on the day of visit. To guarantee a slot, advance purchase is recommended. To reserve, guests can use the Reserve America website (tinyurl.com/4ty5e59p) under “Gillette Castle State Park Tours.” Though the mansion itself is closed to the public on weekdays, the park at 67 River Road in East Haddam remains open and visitors may stroll about the grounds to view the external decorations during regular hours (8 a.m. until sunset daily year-round). The decorations are expected to be completed by the Thanksgiving holiday and remain in place through Jan. 2, 2021. The holiday program includes many events, including weekend appearances by local musicians and scavenger hunts. Information will be posted on the Friends website at www.gillettecastlefriends.org.
The New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks hosts the Flights of Fun Family Programs offering social distanced activities for families on Saturdays and Sundays 10am to 4pm including Flight Science Demonstrations, the Investigation Station, and take-home versions of our popular Build and Fly Challenges. Additional activities include QR Code Tours, Scavenger Hunts, and opportunities for visitors to peek inside select aircraft cockpits. All programs are included with general admission. Limited Capacity and Covid-19 safety measures are in place. Please visit www.NEAM.org before you go!
The New England Carousel Museum and Museum of Fire History, 95 Riverside Avenue, Bristol are open to the public and offer free FREE general admission to visitors that live in the cities of Bristol and Burlington through December 31, 2021. General admission includes guided tours at noon and 2:00 PM during public hours and one carousel ride per person. Additional carousel rides are $1 each or $3 for an unlimited ride bracelet. Presently masks are required for all visitors over the age of 2. Other towns may make a reservation online or visit the Museum for ticket prices and special events. www.thecarouselmuseum.org