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Christmas with kids in Bridgeport
Bridgeport is the home of P.T. Barnum, and its Christmas traditions have a bit of showtime in them. Neighborhoods light their own trees, Santa arrives on a city fire truck, and a Victorian-style tree has stood in the Barnum Museum for the holidays.
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Santa Claus Is Coming to the Library!
When: Wed, Dec 16, 5:30 to 7 pm
Where: Bridgeport Public Library, Burroughs-Saden Library, Bridgeport
Cost: Free
The story of Christmas in Bridgeport
How Bridgeport celebrates
Bridgeport kicks off the season with an annual downtown tree lighting on McLevy Green, hosted by the mayor and the city. Past versions have opened with music, activities for children and a visit from Santa, and in 2023 it ran from 4 to 7 p.m. with vendors, food trucks and holiday performances. In the Black Rock neighborhood, the Black Rock Community Council holds its own tree lighting each year, traditionally at the flagpole at Brewster Street and Grovers Avenue. Santa arrives on a city fire truck, school choirs sing, and the council hosts a Wassail party afterward.
Christmas last year in Bridgeport
A brand new tradition started in December 2025, when North End Little League held its first annual Christmas tree lighting in Bridgeport's North End. Families enjoyed hot cocoa, desserts and holiday activities, and the league ran a coat drive for Caroline House, collecting new and used coats. Nicholas Mazurok of Maz Lawn and Tree donated the tree. The older traditions continue alongside it, including the city's annual tree lighting festival on McLevy Green and the Black Rock Community Council's neighborhood tree lighting each year.
Fun facts about Christmas in Bridgeport
The Barnum Museum has set up a large Victorian-style Christmas tree in its gallery for the holidays, with holiday readings of The Night Before Christmas for young children. It has also hosted talks on Tom Thumb, the tiny star P.T. Barnum made famous. At Beardsley Zoo, the Glow Wild lantern festival lit up more than 35 giant glowing animal displays in 2022, the zoo's 100th year. And in 2021, the city's tree lighting also wrapped up Bridgeport's bicentennial year.
Traditions today
- Bridgeport tree lighting on McLevy Green: The mayor and the city light a downtown tree each year, with music, vendors, food trucks and Santa.
- Black Rock Community Council tree lighting: A neighborhood tree lighting at the Black Rock flagpole, with school choirs, Santa on a fire truck and a Wassail party after.
- North End Little League tree lighting: Started in December 2025 with hot cocoa, desserts and a coat drive for Caroline House.
- Holidays at the Barnum Museum: A Victorian-style tree, gingerbread contests and holiday talks have been part of the museum's December programs.
- Glow Wild Lantern Festival: Beardsley Zoo has glowed with giant lantern animals at its Glow Wild festival.
- Reading The Night Before Christmas: The Barnum Museum has hosted holiday readings of the poem for young children under its Victorian tree.
A fact for kids
In Bridgeport, Santa has arrived at a neighborhood tree lighting on a city fire truck, and the Beardsley Zoo has glowed with giant lantern animals.
Questions about Christmas in Bridgeport
Where is the big Christmas tree in Bridgeport?
Bridgeport's annual city tree lighting is held on McLevy Green in downtown Bridgeport. The mayor and city host it with music, vendors and holiday performances. For this season's date and details, see our Bridgeport Christmas events guide on this page.
What happens at Bridgeport's annual tree lighting?
The tree lighting is a community evening on McLevy Green. In 2023 it ran from 4 to 7 p.m. with vendors, food trucks and holiday performances, and in 2014 it included music, children's activities and a visit from Santa before the tree was lit. Families can expect holiday music, treats and a chance to see Santa.
What is the Black Rock Christmas tree lighting?
It is a neighborhood tradition run by the Black Rock Community Council. The tree is traditionally lit at the flagpole at Brewster Street and Grovers Avenue, with a blessing from a local pastor, school choirs, and Santa arriving on a city fire truck. Council members end the night with a Wassail party.
What is a Wassail party in Bridgeport?
In Bridgeport, the Wassail party is a gathering for Black Rock Community Council members held after the neighborhood's tree lighting. Wassail is a warm, spiced holiday drink that people have shared for centuries at Christmastime. The Black Rock party is an annual follow-up to the tree lighting, held at the S.S. Norden Club.
How does Santa arrive in Bridgeport?
At the Black Rock Community Council's tree lighting, Santa arrived on a city fire truck. School choirs sing as families gather near the tree. Families at the McLevy Green tree lighting have also met Santa among the music and activities.
What new Christmas tradition started in Bridgeport in 2025?
North End Little League held its first annual Christmas tree lighting in December 2025 in Bridgeport's North End. Families enjoyed hot cocoa, desserts and holiday activities, and the league ran a coat drive for Caroline House. The tree was donated by Nicholas Mazurok of Maz Lawn and Tree.
Why did Bridgeport collect coats at a tree lighting?
The North End Little League asked families to bring new and used coats to its first Christmas tree lighting in December 2025. The coats were collected for Caroline House. Sharing warm coats with neighbors is now part of this new tradition.
How was the 2021 Bridgeport tree lighting special?
The city's tree lighting in 2021 welcomed the holidays and also wrapped up Bridgeport's bicentennial year, according to News 12. The report does not give details such as attendance or tree height, but the lighting closed out a year of celebrating the city's 200th birthday.
How does the Barnum Museum celebrate Christmas?
The Barnum Museum has decorated a large Victorian-style Christmas tree in its gallery for the holidays. In past seasons it has also hosted a Barnum Holiday Fest and gingerbread contest, talks on Victorian-era holiday traditions, and a reading of The Night Before Christmas. Check the museum for what is happening this year.
Who was Tom Thumb and why does he appear at Bridgeport holidays?
Tom Thumb was a tiny performer who became famous with P.T. Barnum, who lived in Bridgeport. The Barnum Museum holds artifacts belonging to both men, and a holiday-season lecture on a Tom Thumb biography has been part of its programs. Kids can learn about a famous Bridgeport showman and his tiny star.
Does the Barnum Museum read The Night Before Christmas?
Yes, in past seasons. Bridgeport's First Lady read The Night Before Christmas to young children under the museum's Victorian-style tree, with preschoolers welcome. It was part of the museum's Celebrate the Season programs. Ask the museum whether it is planned this year before you visit.
What is the Glow Wild Lantern Festival in Bridgeport?
Glow Wild is a lantern festival at Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport. In 2022, it featured more than 35 large illuminated displays inspired by wildlife. The festival was held as part of the zoo's 100th anniversary celebration, so families who visit can see the animals glow after dark.
How old is Beardsley Zoo?
Connecticut's Beardsley Zoo in Bridgeport celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2022. That year it hosted the Glow Wild lantern festival, with more than 35 large lit displays shaped like wildlife. Families can check the zoo for current dates and details before planning a visit.
How do I explain a tree lighting to my toddler?
Tell your toddler that the whole neighborhood gathers to turn on a big Christmas tree together. In Bridgeport, you can count down, listen to the school choirs, and watch for Santa arriving on a fire truck. Hot cocoa and a few songs make it a gentle first Christmas outing, and it is easy to leave early if little legs get tired.
What is the oldest Christmas tradition in Bridgeport?
No single oldest tradition is documented online. The city's tree lightings on McLevy Green were already annual events in the 2010s, and the Black Rock Community Council's tree lighting is an annual neighborhood tradition. The Barnum Museum has also offered Victorian-style holiday programs in past seasons.
What does a Victorian Christmas have to do with Bridgeport?
P.T. Barnum lived in Bridgeport in the Victorian era, and the Barnum Museum has marked the holidays with a Victorian-style tree and talks on how people celebrated in Victorian times. It is a way to show kids how Christmas looked in Barnum's day, from decorated trees to storytelling, and why the museum's holiday tree looks so old-fashioned.
Is there a Christmas tree lighting in Bridgeport this year?
Yes, Bridgeport holds an annual tree lighting on McLevy Green, and neighborhoods like Black Rock and the North End hold their own, usually with Santa, music and hot drinks for families. For this season's confirmed dates, times and locations, see our Bridgeport Christmas events guide on this page.
Where can kids see Christmas lights in Bridgeport?
Kids can see lights at the city's downtown tree on McLevy Green and at the neighborhood trees in Black Rock and the North End. Beardsley Zoo has also glowed with lantern animals in its Glow Wild festival. Our Bridgeport Christmas events guide on this page lists this season's confirmed dates.
Where can kids meet Santa in Bridgeport?
Santa has appeared at Bridgeport's downtown tree lighting in the past and at the Black Rock Community Council tree lighting, where he arrived on a city fire truck. Times vary each year, so see our Bridgeport Christmas events guide on this page for this season's confirmed Santa visits.
Why is Christmas in Bridgeport called showtime?
Bridgeport is the hometown of showman P.T. Barnum, so holiday traditions here often come with music, performances and a bit of spectacle. Past tree lightings included holiday performances and school choirs, the Barnum Museum shows Victorian displays, and the zoo glows with giant lanterns. It is a fun theme to share with kids.
Sources
- Mayor Ganim and City of Bridgeport's Annual Tree Lighting, City of Bridgeport
- Bridgeport residents gather to watch the annual Christmas tree lighting, News 12 Connecticut
- Downtown Tree Lighting, Only In Bridgeport
- Bridgeport's North End Little League hosts first Christmas tree lighting, News 12 Connecticut
- Christmas tree ceremony lights up Bridgeport's Black Rock neighborhood, Daily Voice
- Celebrate the Holiday With Mr. Barnum, Only In Bridgeport
- Celebrate the Holidays P.T. Barnum Style, Janet Serra
- Beardsley Zoo celebrates 100th birthday with Glow Wild Lantern Festival, WTNH
- Tree lighting welcomes holidays, wraps up bicentennial in Bridgeport, News 12