At 5:30pm this Friday when Constitution Plaza is illuminated, the Hartford Festival of Light will enter its 45th season.
LED lights will be incorporated into this year’s display.
People coming to the lighting ceremony on November 28th are encouraged to bring an unwrapped toy for Toys for Tots. On four Saturdays, Santa Claus will be at Constitution Plaza; Toys for Tots gift donations can be dropped off on these Saturdays between 4-7pm: 11/29, 12/6, 12/13, 12/20.
Between you and me, I think Constitution Plaza is a more inviting environment than the mall for Santa.
FESTIVAL OF TREES and TRADITIONS
From December 6th through 14th, you can check out the trees at the Wadsworth Atheneum. This event defines festive. It also defines crowded, depending on when you go.
CAROLS, CRAFTS, and COOKIES
From 11-3 on December 6th, you can drop by the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center to make a Victorian-style ornament and engage in other non-literary activities.
MARK TWAIN’S YULETIDE SPIRIT
Also on December 6th, you can meander up Farmington to make another ornament, this time at the Twain House from 1-3:20 pm. This repeats on December 14th.
SHOPPING
MITZVAH MALL
Congregation Beth Israel (West Hartford) and Charter Oak Cultural Center are co-sponsoring the Mitzvah Mall to be held on Sunday December 7th from 10am-12:30 at Congregation Beth Israel (Farmington Avenue in West Hartford, spitting distance from city limits).
Mitzvah Mall is a fun and engaging way to teach children about the joy of giving. It showcases area not-for-profits and provides young people with a chance to buy gifts that are truly meaningful. Instead of shopping at the mall for loved ones, participants can “buy” crayons for an after-school program, books for a library, toys for hospitalized children, food for a homeless person, or clothes for a victim of domestic violence. The purchases can be made in a friend’s or family’s name. For each purchase, “shoppers” receive a card acknowledging their generosity on behalf of their loved ones. Participants get to feel, in a very concrete way, the power and impact of their generosity. $5 suggested donation.
If anyone doubts the ability to shop in Hartford, just take a look at my next monthly bank account balance report. In my effort to compile a list of shopping locations downtown, I ended up doing participatory research. Oops!
There’s no Target or mall in Hartford. Get over it. If you really want the generic American shopping experience, hop on the bus and head out to South Windsor/Manchester or West Hartford/Farmington. Otherwise, wander downtown for funkier, more unique gifts.
If a gift of clothing is something you are considering giving, there are any number of places to drop by which run from inexpensive-to-bye bye mortgage. Above US at the corner of Main and Talcott Street sells “urban” styles and features mannequins with curves. H-L Unlimited on Pratt Street also has urban styles, but mainly t-shirts and lots of camouflage. Sadhna’s in 960 Main sells Indian clothing, scarves, and other accessories.
Stackpole Moore Tryon / Tuesday’s at 242 Trumbull requires platinum cards and your firstborn. While I was made to feel comfortable even though I was dressed way down for the store, that did not change the fact that there was little under $100. The store is much larger than it looks from the outside and is evenly split with a men’s and women’s department. Gorgeous cashmere sweaters aside, I think I favored the men’s department. Cathy, a sales consultant, informed me that they validate parking, which was not useful to me since I walked, but is good to know, as nearby garages charge a lot. If you’re buying a $300 sweater, you don’t need to spend another $20 to park. Fiona Stone Boutique, currently located on Pearl Street, will be closing in December and re-opening at 73 Pratt Street in March after their fashion show. Fiona Stone is a tiny couture boutqiue. Some of their garments are less expensive than those at Stackpole Moore Tryon, but are more unique (couture, hello!). Betsey Johnson is one of the designers they carry, and yes, they do have a rack for men’s clothes. The woman keeping shop was helpful and answered all of my questions about their impending relocation.
Brand new to downtown (one month old) and what I am most excited about is Niro Couture, a boutique at 241 Asylum which is filled with flavor and flair. This is not the store for someone who is content with cardigans and loafers. There’s funky, loud, and bold choices for men’s and women’s clothing and accessories. Think fuzzy grape berets, pewter tops with sequins, the kind of fashion that you can wear, fairly confident that nobody else will show up at an event wearing the same thing as you. I was given a 10% discount card and treated with respect, even though I was spending less than $25.
If you are seeking non-clothing gifts, you can also find those downtown. Although the Old State House no longer has their cool (albeit not particularly Hartford-centric) gift shop, you can find artsy books and such down the street at the Wadsworth Atheneum’s Museum Shop. There are also cards, postcards, journals, jewelry, prints, infant/toddler/children’s toys…the usual items you’d expect to find in the gift shop of an art museum. There are also a number of jewelery stores downtown. Inside of the former G. Fox building is Worn Again Jewelery, an antique store which also carries vintage jewelry. They have necklaces and earrings that contain butterfly wings. A sign assured me that no butterflies were injured in the making of these items– the wings were taken after the insects died natural deaths. This shop sells antique plates and prints containing images of city landmarks. The Petrini Art Gallery, near Worn Again Jewelery, has interesting prints, but most notably, an unending supply of Obama paraphernalia. If you didn’t know, Obama is really big in Hartford, and you could easily buy a t-shirt with his image on it from one of the street vendors.
If the person you are shopping for has vices, there are at least three smoke shops on Asylum Street, including the free-standing store on the corner of Main and Asylum which recently re-opened. There’s a number of liquor stores in the area, including Spiritus in Hartford 21 and West Side Wines inside of State House Square. There’s also the Catholic Bookstore on Market Street.
There are a few places in the West End try to resuscitate the economy. Clothiers Warehouse, on Farmington near Sisson, sells…clothing. Japanalia, on Whitney Street, is reasonably-priced unique styles made right here in Hartford. The 11 Whitney shop is actually the outlet, so if you’ve been to the West Hartford Center store, know that what’s in Hartford is reduced in price. I bought a sweater for $15 which was marked down from $78.
For literature nerds, take a trip to the gift shops inside of the Mark Twain House or the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center.
On December 7th, there will be a “Celebration of Women’s Crafts” at the Pond House in Elizabeth Park from 10-3. There will be a raffle to benefit Foodshare, as well as soaps, jewelery, art, pottery, and other craft items for sale.
**updated: for more holiday events, see Emily’s post on Live in Hartford.