Santa By Rail, And By Rope: This Weekend In CT
Seasonal & Holidays
Santa By Rail, And By Rope: This Weekend In CT There are new ways to watch "Home Alone" and meet Santa, if you know where to look in Connecticut this weekend. In most Connecticut towns, Santa arrives by fire truck. Not so, in Stamford. (Shutterstock)CONNECTICUT — It's that time of year again: candlelight tours through historic homes, holiday strolls past the town gazebo, garden club wreath sales, and everybody performing in "A Christmas Carol" on community theater stages across the state.
It's not that these yuletide traditions are terrible — really, who doesn't love trampling through strangers' houses in the winter? It's just that, maybe, your family's seasonal jaunts have gotten a little too predictable, and could use a little more rum in their eggnog.
In that spirit, here are some events in Connecticut this weekend that are a bit off the well-trodden path. Some may even become a new family tradition.
You've probably seen "Home Alone" once or seven times. After all, the Macaulay Culkin star-maker was "People" magazine's highest ranked live action Christmas movie, beating "A Christmas Story," "A Christmas Carol," and even, inexplicably, "Die Hard."
But have you seen "Home Alone" backed by a live, full symphony orchestra? We'll guess, "no."
You'll have the opportunity to check that off your bucket list this Saturday, Dec. 2, when the Palace Theater in Waterbury and the Waterbury Symphony Orchestra, along with the Waterbury Chorale, team up to present the modern Christmas classic with live orchestral accompaniment. Led by music director and conductor Leif Bjaland, the WSO will perform John Williams' musical score synchronized to the film on the theater's main stage. " Home Alone in Concert " will be presented only once, from 2-4:30 p.m., with an intermission, and tickets are available online here .
Sleigh rides are festive and all, but if you really want to get a child's pulse ring-ting-tingling, put them on a vintage train. If that vintage train is bound for a visit to a jolly and generous old elf, all the better. It's a solid formula for some enduring Christmas memories employed by two Connecticut railway museums.
On Saturdays and Sundays, Dec. 2-3, 9-10, 16-17 and 23 at the Danbury Rail Museum , the adventure begins at a fully-restored 1903 train station. After a very short train ride aboard a restored 1950s Rail Diesel Car, The Snow Clipper , through historic Danbury Railyard, families will be escorted back to the station for a no-rush meet and greet with Santa and Mrs. Claus who will be giving out "the first gifts of Christmas." Trains will depart at 12:30 p.m., 2 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 5 p.m., and 6:30 p.m. The museum will be open each day from noon to 7 p.m. Reservations are required .
The Railroad Museum of New England/Naugatuck Railroad Company in Thomaston provides families another opportunity to visit St. Nick by vintage rail, on The Santa Express . As the train travels through the cold winter wilderness, passengers can meet with Santa and play with his elves, and each child gets a special gift and a bell from The Old Guy. Excursions disembark Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, at noon and 2:15 p.m. through Dec. 23. You can choose your class of service, and make your reservations, online here .
In most Connecticut towns, Santa arrives by fire truck, and if your favorite Christmas movie is "Home Alone," that's probably plenty for you. But if "Die Hard" is more your glass of milk and cookies, then cast your wondering eyes to the skies over Stamford on Sunday, Dec. 3.
Beginning about 5 p.m., Santa Claus will be rappelling down the side of one of the city's tallest buildings, Landmark Square. The surprisingly-spry-for-his-age elf will be joined by the Grinch, Rudolph and other members of his crew for the daredevil stunt that ends with a march up Bedford Street to Latham Park for holiday music and the lighting of Stamford's Holiday Tree, and fireworks.
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