Connecticut Travel

They call this little town in the Litchfield Hills of Connecticut “Christmas Town” with good reason. Bethlehem’s Christmas Town Festival scheduled for December 3 and 4, celebrates its 38th birthday this year as one of New England’s favorite ways to kick off the season. Wherever you turn, special treats are waiting, from the town green to the post office to the Abbey of Regina Laudis and the 1754 Bellamy-Ferriday House. Some of the unique attractions continue when the festival is over.

The quaint town green, centered with a giant tree, is home to over 70 vendors with unique gift items, wreaths, and delicious foods for sale. Strolling carolers and musicians help keep things lively, Santa will be waiting at the firehouse to pose for pictures with young friends, and everyone is invited to climb aboard for hayrides offered in front of First Church. On Friday night kids can go on a train ride. This year there is also a special scavenger hunt that is free to enter. Collectors can garner this year’s unique limited edition Christmas Town pewter ornament, sold only during the Festival.

Bethlehem’s beautiful eighteenth-century Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden will be festively decorated and open for tours and holiday cheer during festival hours. Guides will offer house tours and there will be hot cider and a scavenger hunt for children. The home is located at 9 Main Street North, information can be found at www.ctlandmarks.org

Hours for the Christmas Town Festival are Friday, December 3 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., and Saturday, December 4, from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information,click here. The Opening Ceremony will feature Honorary Emcee WFSB Ch. 3 personality, Irene O’Connor.

Christmas Town Mailings at the Post Office

The Bethlehem post office is busy in December serving the many who come every year to mail holiday cards with their unique postmarks. Visitors can select favorites among the “Christmas Cachet” designs, hand-stamp, and mail these unique greetings to friends and family. The idea of the special stamps dates to 1938, when a local Postmaster, the late Earl Johnson, designed a “cachet,” a special rubber stamp featuring a tree and lettering that said, “From the Little Town of Bethlehem, Christmas Greetings.” New cachets have been added almost every year since. Over 70 designs are now available and nearly 200,000 cards are mailed each year from this small post office. Located at 34 East Street, the post office will have extended hours during the festival, Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Precious Crèches at the Abbey

One of Bethlehem’s not-to-be-missed jewels is open all month for visitors. The museum-quality eighteenth-century Neapolitan crèche on view in a vintage barn at the Abbey of Regina Laudis includes hundreds of beautiful hand-carved figures. Made of wood, terra cotta, and porcelain, the figures portray the Holy Family, angels, the Three Kings, merchants and peddlers, children, peasants, and farm animals. This fabulous gift from artist and philanthropist Loretta Hines Howard is similar to the one Howard donated to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is prominently displayed every Christmas.

A second Crèche, The Lauren Ford Crèche, created by a favorite Connecticut artist, is displayed in a farm shed near the Lower Abbey Chapel. This charming rustic Nativity scene displays figures of Jesus, Mary and Joseph dressed in typical New England garb.

The Monastic Art Shop on the property offers crafts, cheeses, jams, herbal teas, flavored vinegar, herbs, and honey, and all created on-site by the residents of the Abbey.

The Abbey of Regina Laudis, located at 249 Flanders Road, is open to visitors daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, visit www.abbeyofreginalaudis.org

Santa Made Me Do It Race!
On Saturday, December 4 there is a 5 k road race that begins at 10 am. The race will start in front of the Memorial Hall next to Bethlehem Green. To register for the race click here.

Wassailing is an annual tradition that involves blessing orchards to ensure a good harvest for the year to come. The celebrations involve music, song, dancing and a recognition of what orchards give to us. It dates from the Anglo-Saxon era, traditionally taking place on the Twelfth Night, but now wassails take place between early December and February. Wassail is a beverage made from hot mulled cider and spices and will be served on Friday, December 3 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Glebe House located in the historic heart of Woodbury Connecticut.

Wassailing, like many other folk traditions, is a way for people to mark the turning of the seasons. Participants at the Glebe House’s wassailing event will gather around a warm fire and enjoy this iconic holiday beverage while listing to the joyful sounds of the season. Wassail is indeed both a noun and a verb. Mostly it is a salutatory celebration of a long year as you gather with those you cherish and raise a glass of good cheer to toast to a healthy, happy new year and enduring friendships. For wassail is, first and foremost, a salute.

Another highlight of this event is that The Glebe House Museum’s Main Floor will be set for the holidays, and open for viewing and the purchase of holiday décor. Each Guest will receive a “treat” box and a choice of beverages including warm Wassail, hot chocolate, apple cider, and sparkling water. This is the time to enjoy Yuletide Caroling with The Yuletide Singers and the company of friends, old and new alike, as we celebrate the joys of the season.

Admission is Adults $25, Members of the Glebe House $20, Children (6-12) $10, and Children (5 and under) are Free. Advance Tickets are available at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A054FAAAC2CA1FF2-anoldfashioned . Tickets will also be available at the door, and payable by cash or check. The rain date for this event is Friday, December 10th.

We know that Santa gets around during the holiday season, but sleighs are not his only favorite mode of travel. In Litchfield Hills, you can often find the man in red enjoying a holiday train ride–and he loves company.

On December weekends, Santa can be found aboard the Santa Express leaving from Thomaston, CT, ready with bags of goodies for all the young passengers he meets along the way. Santa is so fond of trains that he even has two satellite workshops in train cars, one reached via a vintage train ride at the Danbury Railway Museum and another along the way on the Northern Lights Limited, a nighttime train excursion from Thomaston.

Rides are just part of the special railroad fun for families this year in Fairfield and Litchfield Counties, where lavish displays of working model trains are a traditional holiday treat in several locations.

The Santa Express in Thomaston This 1920s vintage train travels along the scenic Naugatuck River for a warm, cozy 80-minute round-trip ride. Santa brings along Mrs. Claus and some friendly helper elves to visit with each child on board. Trains depart from the historic 1881 station in Thomaston Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays December 3,4,5,9,10,11,12,17,18, and 19. Starting Christmas week the train will run on December 20,21,22 and 23. The last train of the holiday season will run on December 30th. On Saturdays and Sundays, the train runs at 12 noon, 2:15, 5 p.m., and 7:15 p.m. On Fridays and during Christmas week the train runs at 5 p.m. and 7:15 p.m.

Light displays inside and out make for an exciting outing at night aboard the Northern Lights Limited from Thomaston. The train makes a stop at Santa’s Train Workshop, where the great man will board and greet everyone with gifts.

Back at the gaily decorated station, a model train layout is in action, and a large selection of railroad theme gifts, books, and memorabilia can be found. Tickets and information are available from the Railroad Museum of New England, online at www.rmne.org, or by phoning (860) 283-7245. Coach tickets are $20 for adults and Children and, first-class tickets are $49.50 for adults and children. The station is located at 242 East Main Street in Thomaston, CT

All Aboard in Danbury At the Danbury Railway Museum, a classic 1903 station with a railroad yard filled with vintage train cars, visitors can ride a working vintage train through the yard to Santa’s Workshop. New this year the Danbury Railway Museum is offering a short train ride in a restored 1950s Rail Diesel Car through historic Danbury Railyard, you’ll be escorted back to the station for a meet and greet with Santa and Mrs. Claus, where the big man himself will give out the first gifts of Christmas (Parents: Bring a pre-wrapped present or select from our online menu [includes FREE gift wrapping & batteries], and Old St. Nick will give your little one their unique present!). The museum is open every Saturday and Sunday, December 4-19 from 12 noon to 7 p.m.

The Danbury Railroad Museum is located on 120 White Street in Danbury. Trains run on Saturdays and Sundays at 12:30, 2 pm, 3:30 pm, 5 pm, and 6:30 pm. Tickets are $20 for ages 2 and up. Click here for more information.

The Institute for American Indian Studies located on 38 Curtis Road in Washington is hosting its annual Holiday Market on Saturday, November 27, December 4, and December 11, and on Sunday, November 28, December 5, and December 12. The market is free and open to the public from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.; visitors can also tour the museum for $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, and $6 for children; members are free.

If you are looking for something really unusual, make sure to stop in at the only Holiday Market featuring Native American-inspired artwork in Connecticut. Here you will find something truly unique for everyone on your list from Native American jewelry and artwork at a variety of price points. A chance to talk with the people that have created the many works of art is an added bonus.

This iconic market pays tribute to indigenous people across the United States and provides a spectacular opportunity to see Native American-inspired work exhibited and sold. Highlights of the market include the magical sounding flutes handcrafted by Allen Madahbee, Ojibwe. In addition to the one-of-a-kind flutes, Allen is offering beaded moccasins, woodcarvings, rock sculptures, and his inspirational original paintings.

Another vendor, Kim Lewis from Native Visions will be offering an astounding array of Native American Art from Oklahoma and the Southwest including a fine selection of original paintings and prints, Zuni Fetishes, silver jewelry, pottery by Mel Cornshucker, plus Hopi, and Navajo Kachinas.

A long-time favorite of the Holiday Market, Primitive Technologies will offer a tantalizing array of jewelry including hand-carved flint arrowhead and flint animal necklaces, masks, decorative gourds, carved stone art, containers made out of natural materials, traditional tools, and handmade pottery.
The Museum’s Gift Shop will also be open and is brimming with a distinctive collection of Native American jewelry, art, paintings, hard-to-find books, pottery, smudges, games, and much more. What better way to kick off the holiday season than with a visit to this popular signature event that offers unusual gift items and an immersive cultural experience that celebrates contemporary and traditional Native American-inspired art.

About The Institute for American Indian Studies
Located on 15 acres of woodland acres the Institute For American Indian Studies preserves and educates through archeology, research, exhibitions, and programs. They have the 16th c. Algonquian Village, Award-Winning Wigwam Escape, and a museum with temporary and permanent displays of authentic artifacts from prehistory to the present that allows visitors to foster a new understanding of the world and the history and culture of Native Americans. The Institute for American Indian Studies is located at 38 Curtis Road, Washington, CT.

There is no better way to walk off all the extra calories pf Thanksgiving than to head to White Memorial Foundation on November 27 at 2 p.m. for a walk along Cranberry Trail with educator, Gerri Griswold. This engaging walk will take hikers through Cranberry Swamp to Cranberry Pond. This hike is part of the Mattatuck Trail that passes through White Memorial Conservation Center.

This is the 11th year that White Memorial is hosting this walk on the cusp of winter. After strolling this spectacular trail, you will finish off the hike with a cup of hot coffee and a thick wedge of Crimson Pie swimming in a pool of thick ginger creme anglaise! Make sure to pre-register because this walk is limited to 50 people. The walk is free but donations will be accepted and will help defray the Conservation Center’s operating cost.

Hikers should pre-register by clicking here. The hike begins at 2 pm at the Cranberry Pond Trail Head on Webster Road in Litchfield.

The Fairfield Museum, located on Beach Street in the heart of historic Fairfield has announced the 7th annual Holiday Pop-Up Market! This festive Market of holiday gifts at the Museum is a wonderful kick-off to the holiday season!

There is a five-dollar suggested donation to attend this exciting and colorful market. Your donation will enter you into a drawing to win a gift bag of items from the Museum shop, a one-year family membership to the Museum, and an Experience Fairfield poster. With a range of exciting vendors, will be fun to attend this festive fundraiser – for a good cause.

This year the festival is taking place on Saturday, November 20, and Sunday, November 21 – from 10 AM-4 PM. This year’s vendors are Adorn Accessories, Be Nice Today, Beauty Counter, Bespoke Caramels, Candle Delights, Elemental Allies, Esthetic Living, Gioiellajewelry, Hanesie Clothes, In2 Design, Jenny Wooh, KIS Skincare, The Lady Ming Collection, Old Fashioned Jewelry, Preppy Player, Sand Accessories, Sofia.co, Stroll Rock Designs, Two B’s Accessories, and the Wild Heart Boutique.