Thank you to Glow Hartford for providing my family with complimentary admission to the event for the purpose of writing this post. All opinions are 100% my own.
Over the weekend we were fortunate to be invited to attend Glow Hartford at the Connecticut Convention Center. This truly unique holiday event features a massive indoor light display, making it the perfect family-friendly activity for any kind of weather!
There is seemingly endless square footage of creative and engaging light displays– from giant size presents to fun holiday-themed characters to a cavern of icicles! Kids can wander around and through and sometimes even climb on board!
One whole length of the space is devoted to young children, with a full-size playground, a herd of bouncy moose toys and a giant size illuminated hopscotch.
Also present at the event, several characters available for meet and greet and photo opportunities including Santa, princesses, roving carolers and a larger than life Grinch likeness. And don’t forget a ride on the Glowcamotive!
And of course there are TONS of photo opportunities!
Glow Hartford is also home to a local vendor market, so you can do some holiday shopping during your visit too– that’s our kind of multi-tasking!
When your crew gets hungry (because you know they will!), there is a food court with lots of kid-friendly options like pizza and grilled cheese. There’s a large area set up with tables and chairs with a prime view of the Glow stage where you can enjoy live performances throughout the day.
There’s also the sweet shop of sugar plum dreams serving hot chocolate (and coffee!) and an array of treats.
This lightbulb signature drink and souvenir cup (yes, it even glows!) is a popular pick for all ages. And to make things a little extra merry, there’s a bar serving up some adult cups of cheer 😉
Oh, and we can’t forget about the present scavenger hunt! Be sure to grab a card and pencil on your way in so you can search for all the hidden gifts and get a special prize (trust us, totally worth it!).
Although Glow Hartford is a wonderful family outing for all ages, I couldn’t help but think how fantastic this is for all the toddler and preschooler parents out there! I saw so many littles trotting along among all these glowing lights with the biggest smiles on their faces. They were truly in wonderland! I remember taking my kids to drive-through light displays when they were small, and while those were fascinating for them, they inevitably asked if they could get out of our car and run among the lights–which of course at a drive-though light display is a no-go. But here are Glow Hartford, there’s no need to stay strapped in a car seat! Let those littles frolic to their heart’s content 🙂
Entry tickets are timed, but once you are in you are welcome to stay as long as you like. We spent a good two hours inside checking out the lights, having some snacks and listening to the live music. We definitely would have been there longer if my family had allowed me some shopping time too! Haha!
Glow Hartford is open at The Connecticut Convention Center from November 18th to December 23rd, 2023. See hours here. Tickets (price includes fees) are $29/adult, $23.50/child (ages 5-15), or you can get a family pack for $105, which includes two adult and three children’s (ages 5-15) tickets. You can buy tickets HERE. Parking is available in the Convention Center garage for an additional fee. Strollers welcome!
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