Connecticut Travel

Lake Compounce, located on Lake Ave. in Bristol is proud to announce their “Lake Compounce Holiday Lights”, a seasonal holiday-themed family event taking place on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings beginning November 24 and running through December 20. The park gates will open at 5:00 P.M. on Fridays, and at 4:00 P.M. on Saturdays and Sundays.

‘Holiday Lights’ will provide full family entertainment for all ages, and include festive activities such as a spectacular light show every half hour at the main gate, which will feature tens of thousands of dancing lights set to holiday music. Kiddieland rides and family-themed rides will be in operation. The Train will be transformed into the North Pole Railway, operated by a very special, uniformed train conductor with a magical holiday story to tell.

There will be indoor activities such as cookie decorating and gingerbread house making. Children will be given the opportunity to customize their very own letter to Santa, and will then receive a personalized letter sent directly to them, from Santa, just a few days later. On the Kiddieland stage children can enjoy Story Time with Mrs. Clause. There will be carolers strolling throughout the park, an ice carver creating unique, frozen sculptures, and lots more festive entertainment including clowns making balloon animals and lots of holiday characters greeting guests. The childhood favorite; photos with Santa is not to be missed in the Winter Wonderland Starlight Theatre.

The park’s gift shops will also be loaded with holiday-themed merchandise for sale, so guests can get their holiday shopping done, and new this year great food will be served hot from unique and festive food trucks. There is also a pet-friendly night on December 17 when guests are invited to bring their well behaved dog or cat to Lake Compounce, if you bring a can of cat or dog food, you will get $5 off admission at the gate.

New for 2017 is dinner with Santa on Dec. 2,9,16, and 23. Enjoy dinner from 2:30-3:30pm, followed by a visit with Santa! After you’re done with pictures, the entire night of Holiday Lights is yours to enjoy with family and friends until 9 pm! Buffet menu: will include lots of child and adult favorites! Adults are $29.99, kids 4-10 $23.99 and children 3 and under are free.

Admission is $11.99 online and $15.99 at Gate per adult, $11.99 for children 4 thru 10, and free for children 3 and under. Senior tickets are $11.99. Platinum Season Pass holders may enter for free with their 2016 season pass. Tickets may be purchased online now, or at the park gate once the event begins. For more information https://www.lakecompounce.com

For a monthly newsletter on events in Litchfield Hills and Fairfield County visit www.litchfieldhills.com

The Center for Contemporary Printmaking’s new exhibition that runs through Jan. 7, 2018 is called Illumination, which is the theme for CCP’s members show. The accumulation and spread of human knowledge is deeply indebted to the labor of print and paper artists. It is their work, which allows concepts and ideas to be inscribed, transcribed and preserved into a physical manifestation.

Printed materials were cherished objects and the artists who created them not only preserved their illuminating wisdom, but also shed their artistic light on the pages. Illumination originally meant specifically the addition of gold or silver painting but grew to mean any hand addition, marginalia, or embellishment added to the page. For Illumination, members will respond to these traditions and ideas; perhaps through telling a new story, by adding the illuminating light of metal leaf, jewel-bright ink or an exploration of light.

The Gallery is located on 299 West Ave. in Mathews Park in Norwalk and is open Tuesday 9am–9pm · Wednesday–Saturday 9am–5pm · Sunday 12pm–5pm and is closed Mondays.

The image is Frances Ashforth, 2016 Members Exhibit 1st prize winner, will have an exhibition in the Lithography Studio.

Hear ye, hear ye! All little princesses across the land are invited to enjoy an afternoon of magic and fantasy at New England Carousel Museum’s final Princess Tea of 2017, Sunday, December 10th 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM.

This enchanted tea party for children and their caregivers features cookies and juices, a wand craft, story time, carousel rides, and magic and balloons by Amazing Magical Paul. The fairy-tale will continue with a royal meet and greet and photo opportunity with our special guests the snow sisters, Ice Queen & Ice Princess. The Princess Tea is priced at $15.00 per child and $5.00 per adult. Tiaras and princess dresses are highly encouraged. Princesses are provided by Castles and Confetti of West Hartford.

Reservations are required. Don’t miss your chance to participate in this afternoon of fun and make-believe. To make your reservation call 860-585-5411.

Where else would Santa Claus be during the two weekends before Christmas but in a toy-building operation? And The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk is honored to have him in its Toy Boat Workshop Dec. 9-10 and 16-17.

Santa will oversee youngsters and their projects in the Aquarium’s festively retooled Toy Boat Workshop on weekends Dec. 9-10 and 16-17, all days between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. (Please note that, shortly before 12:15 and 2:15 p.m. each day, Santa will take breaks from building toys to become “Shark-Diving Santa,” joining the Aquarium scuba team to swim among the sharks in the “Ocean Beyond the Sound” exhibit.)

Whether you build a toy boat or not, Santa Claus will accept children’s wish lists and pose for photos for free, so bring your camera to snap a keepsake memory. Cost to build a boat is $5 in addition to Aquarium admission. It takes about 15 minutes. Get details about all of the popular family attraction’s holiday offerings, including “‘Polar Express’ Pajama Parties” at www.maritimeaquarium.org.

Santa Claus will be taking a bold step in December to help The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk demonstrate that sharks are not naughty, but nice.

Twice each day on Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays in December, Santa will strap on scuba gear and enter the Aquarium’s 110,000-gallon “Ocean Beyond the Sound” exhibit, which is home to 7-foot sand tiger and lemon sharks.

It’s all part of The Maritime Aquarium’s regular dive program, intended to demonstrate that sharks aren’t the blood-thirsty killers of myth. Visitors to the popular Connecticut family attraction can see – and talk with – divers swimming with the sharks on Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 12:15 & 2:15 p.m.

Workload permitting, Santa is expected to participate in each dive in December. Watch the Aquarium’s website – www.maritimeaquarium.org – to confirm dates when Santa can pull himself away from the North Pole and exchange his snow boots for swim fins.

At this time of year, parents tell their children that Santa could be watching them at any time and from anywhere – but no kid expects to find Santa keeping an eye on them from inside a shark tank!! Bring your camera because Santa is always happy to swim over and get close to the exhibit window to pose for a unique picture with your kids.

Viewing the Santa shark dives will be free with Aquarium admission.