This post was written in 2013, so some information included below may be out-of-date. Be sure to check the event’s website for the latest information. For the 2016 holiday season, Holiday Lights at Lake Compounce will run Friday, Saturday, and Sunday starting November 25th.
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Check out a few pics from our 2014 visit to Lake Compounce Holiday Lights! Then keep reading to see my post from last year with all the details you need to know before you go…
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Thank you to Lake Compounce for providing our families with complimentary admission to the Holiday Lights event. All opinions are 100% my own.
Cut to the chase. Take me to the Momsense.
There is something about covering a place in thousands upon thousands of twinkling colored lights that just makes it seem so magical. And that’s exactly what Lake Compounce in Bristol, CT does for their annual Holiday Lights extravaganza. And even though this event happens after dark, it’s a perfect place to bring your wee ones for some classic amusement park fun coupled with a mesmerizing visual display that will have even big kids (i.e. us grown-ups) feeling like children again.
In its second year, Lake Compounce’s Holiday Lights runs Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings from November 29th to December 22nd (for the 2013 season). We were lucky enough to be invited to check it out on opening night, and we couldn’t wait to preview this winter wonderland.
And winter it was. Like 32 degrees plus a wind chill winter. Brrrrr. But despite the chill, we had a great time romping around the park, gazing at the lights, delighting in the rides and sipping ourselves warm with oodles of hot chocolate.
Now, I am sure you are thinking to yourself, what, is she nuts? Cold, dark, and almost bedtime? You want me to take my preschooler where? But listen! This event was made for them (and for their slightly older siblings too). Don’t believe me? Here’s just a sampling of the activities you’ll find at Lake Compounce’s Holiday Lights:
- Light show set to music occurring at the main gate every 30 minutes
- Fantastic lights and holiday decorations all throughout the park
- Roaming characters (think mascot Kyle the Crocodile dressed for winter and nutcrackers on stilts!)
- FREE Balloon animals
- Ice carver
- Holiday carolers throughout the park
- A special storytime with Mrs. Claus and a sing-along with children’s entertainer T-Bone in the Kiddieland outdoor theater
- Family rides including a carousel, a ride on the North Pole railway, bumper cars and many of the tot rides in Kiddieland (motorcyles, flying elephants, another little train, etc.)
- For a small fee you can write letters to Santa, have your photo taken with him, create a keepsake ornament, decorate cookies or even accessorize a gingerbread house
- Winter-themed food like hot chocolate, milk and cookies, egg nog, soup in a bread bowl is available for purchase at outdoor stands and at an indoor seating area
- PLUS, kids 3 and under get in for FREE!
Yes, it’s cold. It’s New England in December after all. But that’s nothing appropriate apparel can’t remedy (more on that later). Plus, Lake Compounce does a nice job of coupling indoor and outdoor activities with toasty foods and beverages and even outdoor “fire pit” heaters if you need a quick shot of warmth. You can do this! Your kids will love you for it 🙂
Due to the aforementioned dark and cold, plus the fact that we attended on a Friday night, where the gates don’t open until 5:00 pm (as opposed to Saturdays and Sundays when they open at a more preschooler-friendly time of 4:00 pm), I couldn’t possibly cover all of these activities for this post before we had total Boo meltdown. So I am just going to show you a sampling of what we discovered, and hope that our readers will help fill in the gaps by commenting with their stories too. Hint, hint 🙂
First things first. Logistics. Truth be told, this was my very first visit to Lake Compounce, so I really had no idea where we were going and the darkness was not my friend. When I typed their official address (186 Enterprise Drive, Bristol) into my iPhone’s GPS, it seemed to lead us to the service entrance/employee parking lot. I can’t say for sure that we didn’t take a wrong turn somewhere, but that seems to be where the map told us to go. The bad news I have for you is, we never actually drove around to find the main entrance to the parking lot because as representatives of the media (sounds so official!) we were allowed to go into the employee parking area. But the good news is, you can always ask the nice attendants in the employee parking lot to point you in the right direction should your GPS have the same deficiency as mine.
And the important thing to remember is it’s exit 31 off I-84 and then follow the signs. Sometimes that can be tough to do in the dark, I know. But there are many so hopefully you will be able to find your way sans the driving in circles like we did 🙂
Eventually you will end up in this ginormous parking lot.
There is an $8 parking fee. I can’t say for sure if they take credit cards for parking (like I mentioned, we were allowed to bypass that by parking in the employee lot), so you might want to be safe and bring some cash.
This is where you’ll want to unload everything you are bringing with you because it is a little bit of a walk to the park and you won’t want to have to come back for anything. I would highly recommend a stroller even for a 3-year-old like Boo who generally walks with us these days. It’s a hike for a 3-year-old. Plus, if you’re smart like Mandy, you’ll bring some cozy blankets for the kiddos and they can snuggle in them on the ride over and whenever they are feeling a bit chilly.
There is a pedestrian walkway at the front of the parking lot. It’s marked by signs.
Alright, before we go any further, I’m going to have to fess up and admit that this was the first outing I photographed with my way-too-cool-for-me new DSLR camera. Since I wasn’t all that great with my point-and-shoot, and genius that I am (not), I picked an outside nighttime outing for my first attempt, I’m sure it will come as no surprise to you all that most of my pictures turned out like this:
Okay, so maybe I am exaggerating a little. It was more like this:
Thankfully, Mandy had her camera (and a vast amount more photography skills) too, so at least we got a few cute pics of the kiddos.
Let’s see. Where were we. I think we were right about here. Let’s go in!
It’s quite spectacular. Lights everywhere! You can buy your admission tickets at those little huts there. This area is also where you can enjoy the musical light show that runs every 30 minutes.
Once inside the gates, there are so many activities to discover. Be sure you get a map to help you figure out where everything is.
One of my favorite activities was just taking in all the spectacular lights and decorations. It was pretty incredible. Couple that with the festive holiday tunes, and it really did feel like a magical winter wonderland.
Lit storefronts sell yummy treats and warm beverages. Gift shops beckon.
Here’s a hint. If you’re not familiar with the park, you’ll want to know that the best place for the little kids is just to your right as you enter the gates. That’s Kiddieland, and there are several cute little rides open just for tots. Plus a bathroom with a changing station and a private, heated nursing area, in case you need that. Over there is also where you’ll find the outdoor theater that houses the storytime with Mrs. Claus and the sing-along music show.
In the opposite direction (where we headed first), you’ll find the indoor activities. They are housed in the Starlight Theater building (called “Winter Wonderland” on this occasion). Here’s where you can take a photograph with Santa, write him a letter, or decorate cookies or a gingerbread house. This is the entrance up the stairs, but you can also find a ramp just behind the carousel that will lead you up there as well. Good to know if you’ve brought that stroller like I told you to 🙂
Photos with the big jolly man himself:
Materials for the other activities are available for purchase in this main area as well. Here’s the cute little kit to decorate a gingerbread house ($6). There’s a big room with tables around the corner where you can sit to decorate or write.
After we were sufficiently warm, we wandered out to take a spin on the carousel.
There are also bumper cars over here, but we thought that might be a little much for our 3-year-old-ish gang. Instead, we headed for the North Pole Railway.
The kiddos were so excited about this one. However, as we were waiting for the train to go, I happened to jump off and ask one of the attendants how long the ride was. Her answer: 20-30 minutes. Yikes. We were not prepared for that. If we stayed, this would probably be the last thing we could do at the park before we risked total meltdown. And we’d barely seen anything yet! This was not going to work. To say I had to pull Boo off the train kicking and screaming is not a figure of speech. I’m still not sure he has totally forgiven me. So plan accordingly when it comes to this ride, so you won’t be stuck in a similar situation. Also, I should mention that you can bring your stroller with you in line and then leave it inside the gates while you take the train ride (because this is one you will want to do as a family, not just send the kids).
So instead we headed to Kiddieland, where, if I was not entirely forgiven, Boo at least seemed to forget about my transgression.
We caught part of the music show, where kids were invited to grab an instrument and play along. (That’s a little tambourine in Boo’s hands.)
You’ll find these “fire pit” heaters scattered around the park. They’re great if you need a quick shot of warmth, and there happens to be one right here next to the outdoor theater.
Also nearby, a restroom with a changing station (and heat!), a family restroom, and a heated nursing area.
At this point, it was well past 7:00, and although the event continues each night until 9:00, I knew that we’d have to head home pronto if we had any prayer of keeping Boo on some semblance of his regular bedtime schedule. I was prepared for a struggle, but a usually defiant Boo happily cozied into his stroller for the walk back to the car. It was a holiday miracle!
So if you’re looking for a great way to kick off the holiday season, head over to Lake Compounce Holiday Lights for a festive mix of rides, light displays, colorful characters, seasonal treats, and good old fashioned family fun. It just might become your new favorite tradition.
Thank you to Lake Compounce for providing our families with complimentary admission to the Holiday Lights event. All opinions are 100% my own.
186 Enterprise Drive, Bristol, Connecticut
EMAIL: info@lakecompounce.com
PHONE: 860-583-3300 (Offices open at 9am)
Hours & Admission
Holiday Lights runs from November 29th to December 22nd (2013 season)
Hours:
Friday nights (11/29, 12/6, 12/13, 12/20), 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Saturday nights (11/30, 12/7, 12/14, 12/21), 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Sunday nights (12/1, 12/8, 12/15, 12/22), 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Admission:
Adults: $14.99 plus tax
Children (10 years old and younger): $10.99 plus tax
Children 3 and under: FREE
Click here to print a coupon to save up to $3 on up to 4 adult admissions.
FREE with a 2013 or 2014 Lake Compounce Platinum Season Pass
Platinum Season Passes are currently $74.99 plus tax. Buy your 2014 season pass there and get into Holiday Lights for no additional charge! Or you can even buy online here.
Tips & Things to Bring
- It’s winter in New England, people. Dress for it! We saw some absolutely genius parents who put their kids in parkas AND snow pants (even though there wasn’t a single flake). Bet they were pretty toasty!
- Bring a stroller. I can’t stress this enough. Even if you think you won’t need it, bring it anyway. The walk back to the car is long. Kids will be tired. Plus, if you bring some cozy blankets they can snuggle in the stroller as you whisk them around the park. There is a lot of ground to cover!
- If you don’t listen to me and decide later that you need a stroller, the park’s stroller rental is open.
- The parking fee is $8. I don’t know if they accept credit cards out there, so bring cash to be safe.
- Inside the park, most vendors (and all activities) take credit cards as well as cash. There is also an onsite ATM.
- There is a variety of winter-themed food being served from outside vendors, but you can also go to the Parkside Diner for a meal inside (burgers, hot dogs, fries, etc.). You can also bring food that you have purchased elsewhere in the park to the Diner if you would like to eat inside.
- Buy a commemorative mug filled with coffee or hot chocolate and get free refills all season (where the mugs are sold).
- No free soda at this event (I’m not sure why this fact is important, but it’s on all the press materials I have, so I’m including it 🙂 )
- Don’t forget to take advantage of the low price for Platinum Season Passes (just $74.99 plus tax!). You’ll be all set with your 2014 pass, and you won’t have to pay any extra for the Holiday Lights event.
- There are three sets of restrooms open throughout the park: Kiddieland; near the bumper cars (and the ice sculptor); near Zoomer’s Gas N’ Go. All have changing stations.
- There are heated nursing rooms near the Kiddieland restrooms.
Meet Our Sponsors!
- NEW – The Annie Fisher Montessori Magnet School – AFM offers children ages three to twelve years old a free, public Montessori education implemented to the highest standards set by Association Montessori Internationale.
- The Independent Day School – Located on a rural campus in Middlefield, CT is a private pre-school, elementary and middle school, serving families from over 20 communities.
- Kathryn Deane Photography – Kathryn is a natural light photographer specializing in maternity, newborn, child, family, and senior portrait photography.
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