This time every year, people consciously and unconsciously yearn for more – not more presents or cookies but more connection, more sparkle, more warmth tingling from head to toe.
Family and “me time” is an important addition to the holiday to-do list and helps remind us of the season’s important messages. Find – or boost – your holiday spirit this year with one or more of these area activities:
PVD Holiday Festival and WaterFire
Dec. 4-7, downtown Providence. From a holiday market and City Hall tree lighting to performance artists and a special WaterFire, this free family-friendly event has it all. Take a break from shopping local artisans’ wares for ice skating or ice bumper cars (each for a fee) at The Providence Rink at Kennedy Plaza. Visit goprovidence.com for more information.
‘A Christmas Carol’
The cast of Trinity Repertory Company’s 2025 production of “A Christmas Carol.”
Trinity Repertory Company (trinityrep.com) stages its traditional take on the Charles Dickens tale of redemption through Dec. 31 with an ample sprinkling of magic. Tickets start at $49. Take a ride for an entirely different version at the Granite Theatre (granitetheatre.org) in Westerly. Through Dec. 21, their musical raises spirits with beloved carols and romping reels. Tickets ($35 for adults, $32 for seniors and $30 for youths) are currently sold out, but you can put your name on their waiting list.
Christmas at the Breakers
With Marble House and Rosecliff, the mansion will be decked with lights, trees and holly, inviting you to imagine Gilded Age holidays. The Breakers is a favorite, though, with stunning displays inside and out. The Sparkling Lights wonderland lights the grounds after dark and, inside, a majestic 15-foot tree of poinsettias towers. Special events are planned throughout the season. Try wreath-making or get tickets for “Messiah at the Mansion” on Dec. 15 at Rosecliff. Get ticket prices and more information at newportmansions.org.
‘Holiday Lights Spectacular’
Roger Williams Park Zoo (rwpzoo.org/holidaylights) through Jan. 4, 2026. Meander through 40 acres of pathways illuminated by more than 3.5 million lights, past nocturnal animals, s’mores stations and holiday displays. New this year are meet-and-greets with the Grinch and “Frozen” characters Olaf, Elsa and Anna on some weeknights. Santa appears on Thursdays and Roger the Red Panda reads “’Twas the Night Before Christmas” nightly. Hours are 5 to 9:30 p.m., with the last admission at 9. Tickets, sold online only, are $15 for adults, $13 for children ages 2-11 and free for under age 2.
‘Old-Fashioned Christmas’
Hearthside House (greatroadheritagecampus.org), Lincoln. Celebrate the Victorian way at Stephen Hopkins Smith’s three-story 1810 manse. Self-guided tours from 12:30 to 4 p.m. on weekends are timed. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and children under age 10, and free under age 2. Docents – and sometimes Santa! – explain traditions of the time and offer cookies and cider.
Edaville Holiday Festival of Lights
Michael Ferria of Huntington Beach, California, takes a photograph with gingerbread cutouts during Edaville’s Holiday Festival of Lights in 2022 in Carver, Massachusetts.
5 Pine St., Carver, Massachusetts (edaville.com). The New England tradition since the 1930s has been reimagined to deliver even more joy. Ablaze with more than 100,000 lights, the park invites leisurely wandering, browsing the artisan marketplace, sampling seasonal food and beverages (including a Jingle Bar for 21+), and enjoying live entertainment, ice skating and toasty rides on historic trains and in horse-drawn carriages. Edaville is open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 28. Check the website for special events, from an Ugly Sweater Contest with the elves to “Nightmare Before Christmas” trivia. General admission is $27.79 (children under age 2 are admitted free). Train rides are extra. Advance ticket purchase online is strongly recommended.
‘Victorian Christmas’
Clouds Hill Museum (cloudshill.org), Warwick. Step back in time in this lavishly decorated Victorian mansion as docents in period attire talk about decorating traditions and the original inhabitants. Decorations are up from Dec. 7 to Jan. 4, 2026. The museum will be open between 1 and 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 7; Saturday, Dec. 13; Sunday, Dec. 14; and Saturday, Dec. 20. Tours are also available by appointment seven days a week by calling 401-884-9490. Admission is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors, $8 for students and $5 for children ages 6-12.
Pawtucket Winter Wonderland
Slater Park boasts the state’s largest Christmas display and festival with hundreds of decorated trees and lit buildings flanking park roads, plus visits with Santa. For a fee, children can take train rides through the 40-acre wonderland, ride the historic carousel and enjoy snacks. The festival runs Dec. 6-7 and Dec. 13-14 from 4 to 8 p.m.
Wickford Festival of Lights
Santa arrives by boat for the annual Wickford Festival of Lights in 2019.
Dec. 4-7, Wickford Village. The annual event features Santa arriving by boat at the town dock, horse-drawn hayrides, an elf parade and tree lighting. Most activities are free. Find out more at wickfordvillage.org.
‘Sean Heely’s Celtic Christmas’
Park Theatre (theparkri.com), Cranston, Dec. 17, 7:30 p.m. The Scottish fiddle and singing champion and his band brighten the holidays with a blend of ancient Celtic tunes, original modern pieces and ongoing historic narrative. Tickets start at $54.
Christmas Pops with the Chorus of Westerly
The Chorus of Westerly digs into an assortment of holiday favorites in three shows Dec. 20 and 21. New compositions and audience sing-alongs are featured. Tickets, which start at $15, can be purchased at chorusofwesterly.org/events.
Festival of Trees
Kinney Azalea Gardens (kinneyazaleagardens.com), South Kingstown. Celebrate nature’s beauty in a winter wonderland of trees decorated with such themes as natural elements, birds and fairies. Enjoy caroling, activities for the kids, carolers, storytellers, dancers and treats weekends through Jan. 11, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults, $8 for children ages 4 to 17.
Christmas at Blithewold
One of the main rooms at Blithewold is ablaze with Christmas decorations.
Blithewold Manor, Gardens & Arboretum, 101 Ferry Road, Bristol (blithewold.org). In this year’s edition, titled “Tales of Travel: Passages, Crossings and Excursions,” learn about the varied adventures of the Van Wickle McKee family, original owners of the mansion, and tour bedecked rooms and grounds. Fridays and Saturdays through Dec. 27, 4 to 7 p.m. Activities include photo ops with the Big Beautiful Bamboo Birds, warming fires, adult beverages, family treats and a scavenger hunt. Tickets are $27 for adults, $8 for children. S’mores kits are $5.
Walk through the Wildwoods
Wildwood Nursery & Garden Center, 659 Frenchtown Road, East Greenwich (wildwoodri.com). On Dec. 5 and 6, from 4 to 8 p.m., the winter wonderland offers strolls along illuminated paths, a holiday market with local vendors and visits from Santa (Friday) and the Grinch (Saturday).
Candlelight Stroll and Festival of Trees
Dec. 5-7, North Scituate (sba-ri.com). Shops and restaurants in the village light up for the free event, which includes 50 miniature trees on the green, story time, a handmade market, indoor farmers market, Santa in a firetruck parade, food trucks and a Christmas Pops Concert.
Strolling Rolling Apponaug Winter Festival
Dec. 6, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., 3275 Post Road, Warwick (visitwarwickri.com). Enjoy free holiday fun starting with a parade featuring Santa and Mrs. Claus at 10 a.m., and including performances, hayrides, a scavenger hunt, outdoor marketplace, food trucks and a story walk. Ice skating on the outdoor rink is also free during the event (fee for skate rental). Free shuttles run from Toll Gate High School for easy parking.
Coventry Winter Wonderland
Dec. 6, 1:30 to 6:30 p.m., Town Hall Annex, 1675 Flat River Road, Coventry (on Facebook). The third annual event features craft vendors (plus a free gift wrap station), food trucks, horse and buggy rides, children’s craft stations, live music and free pictures with Santa. Ends with the tree lighting at 6:15.
Bristol Christmas Festival and Grand Illumination
Dec. 6-7 (explorebristolri.com). While the tree and star lighting – the Grand Illumination – with Santa is set for 5:30 p.m. Saturday, this European-style festival runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. that day and from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Visit rustic vendor huts, browse artisan creations, join a wreath decorating workshop and enjoy food and holiday wine. Craft and culinary vendors set up at First Congregational Church, 300 High St.
Ballet RI’s ‘The Nutcracker’
Ballet RI will present “The Nutcracker” from Dec. 19-28 at the Vets Auditorium in Providence.
Dec. 19-28, Vets Auditorium, Providence (balletri.org). All ages enjoy this treasured holiday story and well-loved Tchaikovsky score telling of a young girl who befriends a nutcracker and their Christmas Eve adventure when he, toy soldiers and more come to life to battle the evil Mouse King. Tickets start at $55.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: 2025 holiday things to do in RI: Festivals, music, lights and more