New Haven Tree Lighting Celebration, Photo from the New Haven Department of Arts Culture and Tourism

By Melinda Carter

With the holiday season in full swing, the New Haven area is gearing up for one of its great winter-time events with the Tree Lighting Celebration taking place on Thursday, December 1. The event will serve to kick off the holiday season for New Haven and Connecticut residents, while offering up exciting activities for all families. The lighting celebration will take place at the downtown New Haven Green from 4-8pm on Thursday.

Families alike will be able to take in an extended amount of enjoyable activities including musical performances, crafting, carnival and carriage rides. Kids will be excited to get the chance to take photos with Santa himself, as well as some other popular holiday character including Rudolph in the winter wonderland section of the event. The visits and photos with characters will last from 4 until 730pm during the event. The New Haven Lions Club and New Haven Rotary Club will also be providing some food and snacks during the celebration.

Peoples United Bank will sponsor the tree lighting, as the centerpiece of the events will be a 65 foot tall Norway Spruce provided by Steve and Marie McDermott, who are from Northford. The tree itself will hold over 20,000 different energy efficient LED lights in a multitude of colors.

Musical performances will be the highlight of the night, including appearances from four great local groups. Shows will be put on by musical groups including the Calentano Museum Academy, The Mauro Sheridan Magnet School Choir, the Brennan Rogers School Choir and the Educational Center for the Arts Vocal Ensemble. The event itself will be hosted by WTNH television’s own, Gil Simmons. It will also include appearances from special guests including Ronald McDonald, during the tree lighting.

The celebration will be put on by the Department of Parks and Recreation in a local start to a number of other holiday activities in the New Haven area this winter. Children’s activities at the celebration are being supported by Casey Family Services, as well as the Yale New Haven Hospital. Inclement weather is a possibility, which would lead to the event being rescheduled for Friday, December 2. Following the tree lighting celebration on Thursday, New Haven will be home to great food offers and shopping deals throughout the month of December.

The tree lighting event is a great opportunity for all of the Connecticut residents to take part in an excellent holiday event within the community. This is also great for those families looking to get out of their houses and apartments in New Haven to celebrate a great holiday event. The celebration should mix activities good for both parents and children in an effort to celebrate local culture and the holiday season.

After being absent for the past three years Holiday Light Fantasia has returned to Hartford. The two-mile long seasonal display in Hartford’s Goodwin Park has over 35 different scenes and 200 individual displays celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, New Years and Three Kings Day.

Holiday Light Fantasia opens from Nov. 19 until Jan. 6, 2012, from 6 pm until 9 pm Sundays through Thursdays, and 6 pm until 10 pm Fridays and Saturdays.

Admission $10 for cars, $40 for mini-buses and $90 for full-size buses. Proceeds will benefit the Channel 3 Kids Camp.

Visit http://www.holidaylightfantasia.org/ for more information.

Playhouse on Park presents A Special New Year’s Eve Interactive Murder Mystery Party - Viva West Hartford: Murder of Park Road Strip

Playhouse on Park presents A Special New Year’s Eve Interactive Murder Mystery Party – Viva West Hartford: Murder of Park Road Strip, December 31, 8pm

Playhouse on Park’s holding its second annual New Year’s Eve Murder Mystery Party and this time we’re heading to Las Vegas! This is an interactive party where YOU are involved. Discover your “character” and come “dressed to kill”! The party includes beer/wine, hearty hors d’oeuvres, a champagne toast, coffee, dessert and an evening of lies, scandal and murder. Ring in the New Year while uncovering clues that will point you to the killer! Once you purchase your ticket, you will be sent details pertaining to your “role” for the evening. Space is limited. Tickets must be purchased in advance, there will be no tickets sold at the door. And remember…What happens at the Playhouse stays at the Playhouse!

Don’t miss out on your chance to solve the murder mystery! Tickets are $55 per person and the event will take place on New Year’s Eve, December 31st from 8pm-1am. This event sold out last year! Playhouse on Park is located at 244 Park Road, West Hartford, CT.

For more information or ticket reservations please visit www.playhouseonpark.org or call  (860) 523-5900 x10.

The Junior League of Stamford-Norwalk’s annual Winterfair Gift Market features exciting vendors who offer a variety of unique merchandise and beautifully handcrafted items to suit all tastes and price points! Shoppers return year after year to find gourmet food items, accessories for their homes, fashions for the entire family and those one-of-a-kind gift items that add sparkle and fun to holiday gift giving.

This year’s Winterfair will host a variety of events for children such as complimentary professional face painting, among other special activities!

The Where: Stamford Marriott Hotel & Spa, 243 Tresser Blvd, Stamford,CT 06901

The When: Friday, November 12th 10AM – 7PM
Saturday, November 13th 9AM – 4PM

The Cost: Adults $5, Seniors $4 and children under 12 free

For more information, please visit: http://www.jlsn.org/?nd=winterfair

(October 29, 2010) — A beloved 47-year-old holiday tradition in the City of Hartford is getting reinvigorated thanks to a strengthened public-private partnership. The Hartford Festival of Light® is moving to historic Bushnell Park from Constitution Plaza in order to add a new interactive family feature— an outdoor skating rink.

“Skating in the park will make ringing in the holiday season more than a day in the Capital City, it will be an experience for residents and visitors alike to enjoy over and over again,” said Hartford Mayor Pedro E. Segarra. “By working with our team of gracious partners, we’ll be able to have Santa’s helpers in his workshop start building the rink the day after Thanksgiving so that families can enjoy the facility for approximately four weeks.”

The more centrally located venue for the event will make it more accessible to the Theatre and entertainment district and restaurants. Again, the date of the extravaganza is still the day after Thanksgiving, Friday, November 26.

Time and details of the pageantry and procession to the park will be unveiled as we get closer to the arrival of the holiday season.

Joining the City of Hartford in producing this year’s Hartford Festival of Light® are the Greater Hartford Arts Council, The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, and the Connecticut Whale. Title sponsors of the event are Connecticut Light & Power, Mohegan Sun and United Technologies.

For tickets and additional information please call 860.509.0909 or visit ctforum.org

This Saturday (September 18th) the Hartford Colonials will host the Sacramento Mountain Lions in the first UFL game of the season, and officially mark the return of pro-football to Connecticut.  The Colonials play an eight-game season, with four games at Rentschler Field. Earlier this spring the UFL had an online contest to name the team (Colonials beat out River Dogs, my suggestion).

The debut of Hartford’s new team also marks the UFL debut of players such as Daunte Culpepper, Ryan Perrilloux, Josh McCown and Andre Dixon. It will also mark the return of former Tusker Taye Biddle, an explosive WR who just moved over from the NFL.
 
“This community, they had the (National Hockey League’s) Whalers abandon them, they had the (National Football League’s) Patriots at the altar and (they) turned around and went back to Massachusetts,” said Colonials head coach/general manager Chris Palmer. “The fans are accepting us. They will definitely embrace us.” 
 
And with the announcement of entertainment, including B.o.B performing at halftime, ticket sales are ramping up. Fans would be wise to purchase tickets via in order to avoid walk up’s! Individual tickets are affordable and as low as $15.00. Colonials Fan Fest kicks off at 11:30am on Saturday.

Hartford Colonials Schedule:

• Saturday, September 18th @ 2:30pm Hartford Colonials v. Sacramento Mountain Lions, Rentschler Field, East Hartford, CT
• Friday, September 24th @ 7:00pm Omaha Nighthawks v. Hartford, Rosenblatt Stadium, Omaha, NE
• Saturday, October 9th @ 3:00pm Hartford Colonials v. Florida Tuskers, Rentschler Field, East Hartford, CT
• Saturday, October 16th @ 3:00pm Hartford Colonials v. Omaha Nighthawks, Rentschler Field, East Hartford, CT
• Saturday, October 23rd @ 3:30pm Las Vegas Locos v. Hartford, Las Vegas, NV
• Saturday, October 30th @ 8:00pm Sacramento Mountain Lions v. Hartford, UFL Hornet Stadium, Sacramento, CA
• Thursday, November 11th @ 7:00pm Florida Tuskers v. Hartford Colonials, Florida Citrus Bowl, Orlando, FL
• Saturday, November 20 @ 3:30pm Hartford Colonials v. Las Vegas Locos, Rentschler Field, East Hartford, CT
• Friday, November 26 Championship Game TBD

Tickets: Individual Game Tickets from $15.00, $20.00, $25.00, $30.00

Season Tickets from $60.00, $80.00, $100.00, $120.00

For more information about the Hartford Colonials visit:
http://www.ufl-football.com/hartford-colonials