(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont and First Lady Annie Lamont are inviting Connecticut residents to attend the 34th annual holiday open house at the Governor’s Residence, which will be decorated for the season and open to the public for tours.
The open house will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Friday, December 6, 2024, and also on Saturday, December 7, 2024. It is located at 990 Prospect Avenue in Hartford. There is no admittance fee and tickets are not needed. The Governor’s Residence is ADA accessible. Santa Claus will be on-site throughout the event greeting visitors as they arrive. Guests will receive a card containing a Lamont family holiday recipe.
For the first time ever, a shuttle bus will provide visitors with free transportation to the Governor’s Residence from the nearby parking lot of the Connecticut Museum of Culture and History (1 Elizabeth Street, Hartford). The bus will operate on a continuous loop every 15 to 20 minutes throughout the duration of the event. The bus service is being generously donated by the Richard P. Garmany Fund at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.
“The Christmas season is one of my favorite times of the year, and I love having the opportunity to continue this annual Connecticut tradition at the Governor’s Residence,” Governor Lamont said. “Annie and I are excited to welcome everyone to join the festivities and view the seasonal Christmas trimmings that were so generously donated by Connecticut growers and small businesses.”
Decorations donated by generous Connecticut organizations
All of the decorations – including Christmas trees, wreaths, seasonal greenery, dining room sets, gingerbread houses, and artwork – are donated for display at the Governor’s Residence at no cost to the state. This year, those generous donations come from Jones Family Farms in Shelton, the Connecticut Nurserymen’s Foundation, the Connecticut Greenhouse Growers Association, Kathyrn Hunt Studios of West Hartford, Taste by Spellbound of West Hartford and Avon, the New Britain Museum of American Art, and the Wadsworth Atheneum.
Ornaments that will be on display were created by Pre-K to Grade 12 students from CREC Ana Grace Academy of the Arts and the CREC Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts Full Day High School.
Donations will be accepted to benefit several local causes
While there is no admittance fee and tickets are not needed, donations benefiting several causes will be accepted throughout the duration of the open house.
The Connecticut State Police, Connecticut Department of Transportation, and Kathryn Hunt Studios will be accepting donations of new and unwrapped toys to benefit Toys for Tots. A CTfastrak bus will be parked outside of the Governor’s Residence on Friday morning, which will be used to stuff with toys.
Additionally, monetary donations will be accepted to benefit Operation E.L.F., a fundraising campaign of the Connecticut National Guard that supports military families who are enduring the hardship of separation due to deployment, including those whose loved ones are deployed, preparing for deployment, or recently returned from deployment. The goal of the campaign is to lessen the financial stress these families can face resulting from their call to active duty. Suggested donations for Operation E.L.F. include:
- Financial contributions through checks that can be made payable to the Connecticut National Guard Foundation, Inc. (in the memo field, please write “Operation E.L.F.”)
- Gift cards for grocery stores, department/home goods stores, pharmacies, gas stations, etc.
- Contribution of services such as fuel oil, snow removal, and home maintenance services.
Live music will be performed by local musicians
Local musicians will perform selections of holiday music throughout the duration of the open house. The schedule includes:
Friday, December 6
- 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.: Choir, drummers, and dancers from CREC Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts Full Day High School, Grades 9-12, Hartford
- 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.: Choir from CREC Ana Grace Academy of the Arts, Pre-K to Grade 8, Bloomfield
Saturday, December 7
- 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.: Plainville Wind Ensemble, under the direction of Lola Gordon
- 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.: Marcel n’ The Metropolitans, Central Connecticut based piano-less jazz trio consists of Jeremy Osterling on saxophone, Matt Bellevue on guitar, and Keith Burns on upright.
- 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.: Vanessa Pare Vocal Studios performers No Fella A Capella, as well as individual and small group performers.
Information about the history of the Governor’s Residence can be found on the governor’s website.
