Starting tomorrow, people from across New England will drive into Uncasville, park in the Winter Garage and spend a day at the 40th Annual New England Christmas Festival. Most of them will be home by dinner. For the rest of the season, the Mohegan Sun events will keep drawing them back, and they can buy a ticket at the door for any of them.
Montville's own holiday events work differently. The home light contest, the parade and the tree lighting at Town Hall all run through Montville Parks & Recreation, and they ask you to call, register or turn in a form ahead of time. If you live here, the season is simple to plan once you see where those dates fall between the big weekends at the Sun.
Friday Through Sunday: The 40th Christmas Festival at Earth Expo
The New England Christmas Festival runs November 6, 7 and 8 at Earth Expo. Hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. The organizers are billing this 40th edition at more than 400 American artisans and more than 350 pop-up boutiques. Expect décor, jewelry, fashion, food, toys and gifts.
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| Friday or Sunday | $18 |
| Saturday | $21 |
| Three-day pass | $23 |
| Children 14 and under | Free |
A three-day pass costs $5 more than a single Friday or Sunday, and $2 more than Saturday alone. Visitors driving in from out of state come for one day. You can come back. Walk the floor Friday to see what's out there, then return Sunday for the gift you couldn't decide on.
Parking and valet are free, and according to the festival FAQ, the closest options are the Winter Garage and the Winter Surface Lot. The festival's parking page suggests putting "Winter Garage, Uncasville, CT" into your GPS. The Reindeer Lounge serves cocktails or hot chocolate on Saturday and Sunday, and a concession stand is open all three days.
If you want lunch away from the festival floor, Bobby's Burgers by Bobby Flay is open again. It started a soft opening this spring with a refreshed menu and counter service, and held its ribbon-cutting on May 21. Patch reported that it replaced Bobby's Burger Palace and sits by the Winter Entrance next to Frank Pepe's, a short walk from where the festival parks you.
November 20: The Titanic Exhibit Opens in Casino of the Sky
Two weeks after the festival, Mohegan Sun opens The Legend of the Titanic: The Ultimate Immersive Experience on November 20 in Casino of the Sky. Patch described it as a walk-through attraction that mixes artifacts, movie props, VR and projections, running into early 2027.
This one parks on the other side of the property. Free self-parking is in the Riverview Garage, not the Winter Garage you used for the festival. Mohegan Sun lists these hours, with last entry one hour before closing:
- Wednesday and Thursday, noon to 9 p.m.
- Friday, noon to 10 p.m.
- Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.
- Sunday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
At the time of writing, the ticket page listed adults 16 and up at $44.50, children 3 to 15 at $34.50, and seniors and military at $41.50, with family and VIP tiers on top of that. Plan on an hour and a half to two hours. The experience's own FAQ says the average visit is about 90 minutes, and Mohegan Sun's page calls it a 120-minute experience. The booking calendar already runs into January 2027. That means a Wednesday afternoon in early January works fine for a local, and it's a good option for guests who stay past the holidays.
November 21: The Contest That Starts at Your Front Door
The day after the Titanic exhibit opens, registration begins for the Home Holiday Light Contest. Parks & Recreation runs it, and the Montville Rotary does the judging. You can nominate your own house or a neighbor's by calling Parks & Rec at 860-848-6780 with the address, the homeowner's name and the category. There's one winner per category plus one grand prize winner.
The October 2026 Parks & Recreation newsletter describes the three categories:
- Total Griswold. Modeled on National Lampoon's Christmas, so more is more.
- Classic Christmas. Traditional lights, the kind you see in the movies.
- Winter Wonderland. Snowmen, snow and winter scenes rather than traditional Christmas icons.
The Rotary hasn't set judging dates yet. Plan to have your display finished and lit soon after Thanksgiving so you're ready whenever the judges come.
December 3 Through 6: Four Nights on Route 32
The first weekend of December is the busiest stretch of the season. Big ticketed shows at the Sun lead straight into the town's free parade.
| Date | Event | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday, December 3 | Lindsey Stirling's Snow Waltz Holiday Tour | Mohegan Sun Arena |
| Friday, December 4 | Nut/Cracked, 7 p.m. | Cabaret Theatre |
| Saturday, December 5 | Nut/Cracked, 7 p.m. | Cabaret Theatre |
| Sunday, December 6 | Town Holiday Parade and tree lighting, 5 p.m. | Route 32 to Town Hall |
Mohegan Sun announced the Lindsey Stirling date back in August. Nut/Cracked is a family-friendly dance-comedy version of The Nutcracker, playing two nights only. With only two shows in a cabaret room, it's the kind of family outing to book early.
Sunday belongs to the town. According to the official parade application, the parade starts at 5 p.m. at Montville Funeral Home, at Church and Allen on Route 32. It heads north to Town Hall, where the tree lighting and awards follow. Floats and equipment need to arrive by 4 p.m. Parks & Recreation provides the only Santa float, so Santa arrives at the end of the route, where the crowd is waiting.
If you watch from along the route, the north end near Town Hall puts you closest to the tree lighting once the last float goes by. If you'd rather be in the parade, Parks & Rec takes entries from local groups, businesses and families. The town's two documents give different deadlines. The Fall/Winter community booklet says forms are due by December 1, and the application says before December 3. Turning yours in by the end of November covers you either way. Call 860-848-6780 if you're not sure.
The Smaller Dates Around the Big Ones
A few more items fill in the season, and none of them need a ticket.
- Montville Farmers Market Holiday Market. The market's website is advertising a 2026 Holiday Market with an application "available soon." Date and location are still to come, so check back.
- Youth Services Holiday Stocking Drive. The community booklet lists a gift-card drive running through December 12.
- Thanksgiving food drive. Senior & Social Services runs one this season, according to the same booklet. Call the department for drop-off details.
Here's the order, start to finish. The festival is tomorrow, and the three-day pass costs only a few dollars more than one day. The Titanic opens November 20, with parking in the Riverview Garage. Light contest registration opens November 21. Arena and Cabaret shows run December 3 through 5. Parade entries are due by the end of November, and the parade steps off Sunday, December 6, at 5 p.m. from Church and Allen.
Want to show off a Total Griswold display or put your business on a float this year? I'd love to see it. I'm Skyla Gagnon, and I sell homes all over New London County. If you're hosting family this season who are starting to wonder what a house in Uncasville or Oakdale would cost, send them my way and we'll set up a time to talk. Let's Connect.
