Torrington's holiday season starts twice this year. The 3rd Annual Illuminated Parade lights up Main Street on Friday, November 27. Carl Bozenski's Christmas Village doesn't open its doors until after its Opening Parade on Sunday, December 13. Once it opens, it stays open for 12 days, not the 19 it ran last year.
That shorter season comes from the city itself. In the September 21, 2026 Torrington City Council minutes, Parks & Recreation's Mr. Pentino told the Council the Village "will be open for only 12 days, from December 13, 2026, through December 24, 2026, compared to 19 days last year." In practice, Torrington's holiday calendar now has two separate starting points, a gap of more than two weeks between them, and one December weekend where nearly everything happens at once.
November 27 Belongs to Main Street
The season opens downtown, not at the Village. Christmastime in Torrington lists the 2026 Illuminated Parade for Friday, November 27, at 5 p.m., billed as "a dazzling start to the holiday season at Light Up Main." This is the third year for the event. Organizers are asking businesses, clubs, schools, bands and other community groups to enter vehicles, costumes or floats covered in lights.
Spectators can join in too. Organizers invite them to bring their own flameless lantern, candle or torch and fall in at the end of the procession as it continues to Coe Park. Groups that want a spot in the lineup can register on the parade page, and Richard Lopez is listed as the contact for questions.
The parade falls the evening after Thanksgiving. That timing hands the rest of the long weekend to the Warner Theatre.
The Warner Carries Thanksgiving Weekend
With the Village still closed, the Warner's two holiday programs fill the days right after the parade.
| Date | Event | Where | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sat., Nov. 28, 7:30 p.m. | Jessica Lynn's A Very Merry Classic Christmas | Warner Theatre | 10th year; bring a new, unwrapped toy for Toys for Tots |
| Sun., Nov. 29, noon | Santa and Mrs. Claus arrive | Warner Theatre | Starts the holiday movie day |
| Sun., Nov. 29, 1 p.m. | Frozen II | Warner Theatre | Free, no ticket required |
| Sun., Nov. 29, 4 p.m. | Visit and photos with Santa | Warner Theatre | Between screenings |
| Sun., Nov. 29, 5 p.m. | White Christmas | Warner Theatre | Evening classic |
The Jessica Lynn show reaches its 10th year this season. The Warner asks everyone attending to bring a new, unwrapped toy for Toys for Tots. The next afternoon, the holiday movie event runs from Santa's noon arrival through a 5 p.m. showing of White Christmas. The 1 p.m. Frozen II screening is free and needs no ticket.
Put the parade, the concert and the movie day together and Torrington has a full three-day holiday opening before a single Village light comes on. In past seasons the Village carried much of that early-season role itself. An undated Christmastime in Torrington page still shows a December 7–24 season, nearly a week earlier than this year's opening.
What Runs Through the Gap
From November 30 to December 12, the main thing to see downtown is art. The Five Points calendar lists the 2026 Small Works Juried Exhibition from November 20, 2026, through January 9, 2027, with an opening reception on November 20. The show opens a week before the parade and stays up well past the Village's last day, so it covers the entire gap.
Crystal Teal Company at 41 Water St. holds two evening workshops before the parade. One is a bracelet-making session on Friday, November 13, and the other is a Tree Making Class on Friday, November 20. Both run 6 to 8 p.m., according to Visit Torrington's event calendar. Coming two and one weeks before Light Up Main, these are a hands-on way to start decorating before the city does.
Then the calendar stays quiet until one weekend in mid-December, when it fills all at once.
December 12 and 13 Stack Up
The night before the Village opens, Main Street gets an event that only a few dozen people will see.
- Saturday, December 12, 6:30 p.m. The Torrington Historical Society presents Rick Corbo as Charles Dickens, performing A Christmas Carol inside the Hotchkiss-Fyler House Museum at 192 Main St. The Society's calendar lists tickets at $10 to $15. An October 19 preview by Janet Serra describes the performance as about 45 minutes long, with room for 35 guests.
- Sunday, December 13. The same museum offers guided holiday tours, with the 1900 house decorated for Christmas, its original family furnishings, woodwork, and painted and stenciled walls on view.
- Sunday, December 13. The Opening Parade steps off, and Carl Bozenski's Christmas Village opens right after it.
The Dickens performance has 35 seats, and the Village is open on just three weekend days all season, so this is the weekend that takes the most planning. A family can see Scrooge in a Victorian parlor on Saturday night and walk to the Village opening on Sunday. The museum tours fall on that same Sunday, so they compete for the same afternoon. For the Opening Parade's start time and route, check the city's Christmas Village page closer to the date.
Twelve Days, Counted Out
The shorter season leaves less room than "12 days" suggests. The 2026 Village listing gives weekday hours of 1 to 8 p.m., weekend hours of noon to 8 p.m., and a Christmas Eve window of 9 a.m. to noon. Admission is free, and visitors can see Santa and Mrs. Claus and walk through the decorated village.
Here is how those hours fall on the 2026 calendar:
| Dates | Day type | Hours | Open hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun., Dec. 13 | Weekend, after the Opening Parade | Noon–8 p.m. | 8 |
| Mon., Dec. 14 – Fri., Dec. 18 | 5 weekdays | 1–8 p.m. | 35 |
| Sat., Dec. 19 – Sun., Dec. 20 | Weekend | Noon–8 p.m. | 16 |
| Mon., Dec. 21 – Wed., Dec. 23 | 3 weekdays | 1–8 p.m. | 21 |
| Thu., Dec. 24 | Christmas Eve | 9 a.m.–noon | 3 |
That adds up to about 83 hours across the whole season, and only three of the twelve days are weekend days. For many families, the realistic choices come down to opening Sunday, the weekend of December 19 and 20, or a weekday evening before 8 p.m. The weekend of December 19 also brings A Clay Walker Family Christmas to the Warner on Saturday at 7:30 p.m., a 90-minute concert and sing-along with Walker's family. A Saturday that starts at the Village around noon and ends at the Warner covers both of the city's anchor traditions in one day.
One caution on hours. The older Christmastime in Torrington page lists an 8:30 p.m. closing, while the 2026 listing says 8 p.m. Plan around 8 p.m. and confirm with Torrington Parks & Recreation before a late weeknight visit.
Where the Savings Show Up
The shorter season also shows up in the toy budget. The same September minutes record the Council voting unanimously to approve $12,495.16 for 2026 toys and gifts from Rhode Island Novelty. Mayor Spino noted that about $29,000 went to toys last year. Mr. Pentino named three reasons for the drop: the shorter season, buying directly from Rhode Island Novelty instead of through a middleman, and "a substantial number of toys left over from last year."
So the 2026 toy budget is less than half of last year's spending, and the season is seven days shorter. The tradition itself stays the same: Santa, Mrs. Claus, the decorated village and free admission. It now fits into a tighter stretch of the calendar. Before it opens, Main Street has its own start with lighted floats, flameless lanterns heading to Coe Park, and the Warner's Santa matinee two days later.
For anyone planning a holiday open house, out-of-town visitors or a December closing in Torrington, these dates are worth building around early. Kristen Duchene and the Litchfield County Real Estate team are happy to talk through timing, staging for the season, or which holiday weekend works best for your own plans. Contact Us.
