42 Things to Do in Connecticut This December

1. Shred the slopes. Break out your skis, snowboards, and tubes for some downhill thrills at Mohawk Mountain Ski Area in Cornwall, Mount Southington Ski Area in Southington, Powder Ridge Mountain Park & Resort in Middlefield, and Ski Sundown in New Hartford.

2. Get your steps in. Don’t let the cold keep you from being active. Warm up your muscles on any one of Connecticut’s hiking trails.

3. Enjoy ice skating. Sharpen your blades and practice your balance at the International Skating Center of Connecticut in Simsbury or book a skate time at Danbury Ice Arena or at Northford Ice Pavilion located in Northford.

4. Go cross-country. Swap the downhill runs for a peaceful glide through nature when cross-country skiing at White Memorial Foundation in Litchfield and Winding Trails Cross Country Ski Center in Farmington.

5. Break the ice. Visit a local bait shop before cutting the ice to fish for bass, pike, and perch at Bantam Lake, Burr Pond, or Lake Waramaug. You might even stop by Cabela's for some extra gear.

6. Practice your aim. Challenge your friends or just unleash some built-up stress. Try your hand at axe throwing at Montana Nights, Crazy Horse, or Litchfield County Axe Throwing. Want to try something different? Hit the bullseye with slingshot games at Fork + Band.

7. Take in a magical light display. Look at thousands of glittering holiday lights at Magic of Lights in East Hartford or Lights in Motion in Hebron, or wander or drive through the Hubbard Festival of Silver Lights in Meriden. Find more lights events here.

8. Celebrate Hanukkah. Attend menorah lightings and more this season. Find events for the whole family here.

9. Dine in a holiday dream. Enjoy dinner and cocktails surrounded by majorly decked out displays of lights and trees — all with creative themes — at Cava in Southington, along with other spots offering dazzling holiday decor like Lobster Shack in East Haven, Greenhouse Tavern in Burlington, Cedars Steaks & Oysters at Foxwoods, Gioia in New Haven, and Sign of the Whale in Stamford.

10. Walk in a winter wonderland. Stroll through communities across the state transforming their shops and streets into magical winter towns. Check out Olde Mistick Village’s Holiday Lights Spectacular, the Bethlehem Christmas Town Festival, the Annual Holidays on Main in Old Wethersfield, or Glow Gardens in Hartford.

11. See the stage all aglow. Grab your tickets to festive holiday shows like A Christmas Carol at the Hartford Stage, It's A Wonderful Life at the Bradley Playhouse in Putnam, and Christmas on the Rocks at TheaterWorks Hartford.

12. Meander a winter farmers' market. Find some fresh and local goodies at the Guilford Farmers' Market or the Coventry Winter Farmers' Market.

13. Make holiday ornaments. Get crafty Christmas-style and attend an ornament-making workshop at the Guilford Art Center in Guilford.

14. Appreciate the arts. Let the arts move and inspire you. Check out art exhibitions at the New Britain Museum of American Art, The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum in Ridgefield, or even view art outside by exploring the Sculpture Trail at Lyman Allyn Art Museum in New London or visiting these photo-worthy outdoor murals.

15. Attend the ballet. See timeless ballet performances like New England Ballet Theatre presents: The Fantastic Toyshop or The Nutcracker at the Garde Arts Center.

16. Party for the holidays. Grab your group and head to boozy holiday events like Foxwoods Resort Casino's Bingo Unleashed SantaCon. Hit holiday bar crawls like the Stamford Ugly Sweater Bar Crawl, a Santa Bar Crawl in Wallingford and the Magic of Middletown Pub Crawl.

And don't miss pop-up Christmas bars at spots like Gioia, Marker 37, J. Law's, Riley's at the Seawall, and Black Duck Cafe!

17. Dine fireside. There are dozens of fireside dining options in Connecticut where you can toast the cold days and nights hearthside. From pubs and shoreline inns to fine dining, warm up to these destinations.

18. Put your pinkies up at tea. Rid yourself of the winter cold with a hot cup of tea at Alice in the Village in Mystic, or any of these posh and elegant tea rooms around the state. Or, enjoy holiday tea in the decorated Barnes Museum in Southington.

19. Tour craft distilleries. Sample homemade flavors from moonshine to gin, whiskey, and vodka at these Connecticut distilleries.

20. Devour comfort food. As the weather cools down, heat up with comfort food favorites from mashed potatoes and mac 'n cheese to chicken wings and pizza.

21. Have brunch with Santa. Devour breakfast favorites and hang out with the jolly old elf himself at Avon Old Farms, Hilton Mystic, the Madison Beach Hotel, or the Shoreline Trolley Museum.

22. Go on a foodie tour. Indulge in Connecticut's authentic and tasty pizza, chocolate, or chowder trails.

23. Have a wine night — with cookies. Gather your friends and join in a cozy evening of decorating GIANT house-made gingerbread cookies — paired perfectly with a glass of wine!

24. Pick-your-own tree. Bring your axe, put on your heaviest layers, and head to Charlie Brown’s Christmas Tree Farm in East Hampton, Dzen Family Christmas Tree Farm in South Windsor, Fairview Tree Farm in Shelton, Broken Arrow Nursery in Hamden, Maple Hollow Farm in New Hartford, and Yurechko Tree Farm in Griswold to chop down this year’s perfect tree. Find more tree farms here.

25. Enjoy indoor adventures. From trampoline parks and indoor golfing to virtual reality experiences, ropes courses, and even destinations to smash old items, stay warm inside and have tons of fun with these indoor activities. 

26. See Santa. Take pictures with the man in red this year at Wickham Park’s Annual Santa's Workshop. Or visit Santa aboard a train at the Santa Express at the Railroad Museum of New England in Thomaston. Find more events to meet Santa here.

27. And don't forget the reindeer! Check out the Greenwich Reindeer Festival & Santa's Workshop where you can take pictures with Santa in addition to meeting reindeer.

28. Challenge yourself. Test your skills and your nerve indoors at the Thrillz High Flying Adventure Park in Danbury, or break a sweat testing your problem-solving skills at Mission Escape Games in West Hartford. Want to try something new? Test your slingshot skills at Fork + Band.

29. Go on a sleigh ride. Round up the kids and embark on a festive sleigh ride pulled by horses.

30. Attend Hartford's Holiday Market. All month long, Hartford will be celebrating the holiday season with holiday-themed activities, vendors, pop-up kiosks, special weekend events, and more. Don't miss the Winterfair — it's sure to get you in the holiday spirit!

31. Make candles. Ready for some candle-making fun? Check out NaturalAnnie Essentials in Bridgeport to mix, mingle, and create your own scented soy candle. 

32. Do some yoga. Realign your mind, body, and spirit to help handle the stress of the holidays at the Salt Cave of Darien or Charym Yoga Studio in Litchfield. Find more wellness ideas here.

33. Find some small-town holiday spirit. Discover Connecticut’s winter charm when you stroll, shop, dine, or stay in one of its picturesque towns.

34. Pamper yourself. Take a break from the mess and stress of the holidays and enjoy a massage, facial and more at spas like Spa at Norwich Inn, Mayflower Inn & Spa, Delamar West Hartford, and Winvian Farm, which has been named the #1 destination spa in the U.S. by Condé Nast Traveler!

35. Go holiday shopping. Connecticut has plenty of shopping destinations and outdoor malls such as Clinton Premium Outlets, Shops at Evergreen Walk, and Shops at Farmington Valley, where you can find the perfect presents for your family and friends. For even more thoughtful and unique gifts, try shopping local.

36. Find love like the movies. You’ll feel like you’re falling in love all over again when you visit the magical small towns that Hallmark, Netflix, and Lifetime movie lovebirds have walked through on-screen during the holidays. Check out these spots in Connecticut where holiday films were shot.

37. Take a winter retreat. Essex, Madison, and Greenwich are just a few of Connecticut’s historic and charming towns that offer the perfect winter getaway for you and that special someone.

38. Snap wintry photos together. Plan a romantic road trip to these Instagram-worthy winter spots and capture a few sweet moments in the stunning scenery.