Visitors to Connecticut can enjoy a range of activities, including family fun at Stamford’s annual parade and a unique learning experience at the Mashantucket Pequot Museum in Ledyard.
Stamford Downtown Parade Spectacular
On the Sunday before Thanksgiving, travelers can head to downtown Stamford for this annual event, one of the largest helium balloon parades in the United States. They can see giant balloon characters, award-winning marching bands, and fabulous floats march down Stamford’s Main Street, and then see some of these same balloons a few days later in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade! This holiday event takes place rain or shine. Don’t miss the inflation party the evening before as the parade participants come to life.
Mashantucket Pequot Museum
Tribally owned and operated since it opened in 1998, this museum brings the story of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation to life and serves as a major resource on the natural history of the region as well as the history and culture of Native Americans in the northeast U.S.
The museum, a 308,000-square-foot complex, includes permanent exhibits, the Mashantucket Gallery for temporary exhibits, classrooms, a 320-seat auditorium, a restaurant, a museum shop, and administrative offices. The Research Center houses collections and archives, as well as archaeology and conservation laboratories, where ongoing work from the field is evaluated and studied.
Multisensory dioramas and displays introduce visitors to the history of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe and the natural history of the eastern woodlands. The exhibits feature films and videos, interactive programs, archival materials, ethnographic and archaeological collections, commissioned art, and traditional crafts by Native artisans.
For more information, email Susan Henrique at the Connecticut Office of Tourism or go to ctvisit.com.
Top photo: Exhibit at the Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center
Photo by Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center
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