The Connecticut Science Center shimmers with Holiday Enchantment, a playful world where twinkling lights meet hands-on wonder. Families can glide across the sock skating rink, explore the Holiday Forest of Illusions, and discover festive surprises around every corner in this sparkling celebration of science and spirit.

Clare Gallery presents Portals and Paintings, an exhibition of abstract works by Catherine Steinberg. With roots in dreams, visions, and meditative practice, Steinberg’s process draws viewers into a contemplative space shaped by light, energy, and symbolic form.

Celebrate the season at Hartford Marriott Downtown with a life-sized gingerbread house perfect for photos, festive cocktails at L Bar, and the holiday magic of the Christmas Suite. Snap a pic, tag @MarriottHartfordDowntown, and get 10% off your L Bar bill. Sip on the Gingerbread Martini, and feel extra cozy knowing proceeds benefit Toys for Tots.

Celebrate the season as the Wadsworth’s galleries transform into a glittering winter showcase for Festival of Trees & Traditions, the museum’s annual holiday fundraiser. Local artists, organizations, and community members contribute imaginative trees and décor, with proceeds supporting exhibitions and educational programs.

Food historian Sarah Lohman visits the Connecticut Museum to explore the origins and uncertain future of the American diner. From late-night coffee counters to chrome-clad classics, Lohman traces how these cultural icons shaped the nation’s palate—and what their decline reveals about American life today.

Part of the Trouble Begins Series, this event brings Twain scholars Ann M. Ryan and Kerry Driscoll to explore The Ghosts of Mark Twain. The discussion uncovers Twain’s gothic imagination, examining how white manhood, Black resistance, and racial violence shape his stories—and why those tensions remain relevant today.