Holiday Season
Join the 2026 Santa Club!
Last year, the 2025 Santa Club helped make Hartford sparkle! We want to thank our previous donors.
We are now accepting donations for the 2026 Holiday Display.
Your contributions allow us to partner with Rocket Lighting and our wonderful volunteers to light up the Riverwalk, millpond, and Centennial Park.
Become a Member of the Santa Club:
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Santa's Helpers: $ 10 - $49 (or volunteer)
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Elves: $ 50 - $249
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Silver Ornaments: $ 250 - $999
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Gold Ornaments: $1000 - $1999
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Shining Stars: $2000 - $2999
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Angels: $3000+
Donors of $500+ receive signage at all three entrance points.
All other donors are listed on our website.
Volunteer as a Santa's Helper!
How the Magic Happens
The Hartford Holiday display is a true community effort. Our "Santa's Helpers" (volunteers) work side-by-side with VBH Volunteers to hand-wrap the trees in lights, creating a charming atmosphere for everyone strolling along the Riverwalk, the millpond, and through Centennial Park.
To ensure the display is safe and spectacular, we partner with Rocket Lighting. They use professional lifts to light the focal trees and handle all the technical electrical hookups, as well as the removal of the display every January.
Interested in volunteering? Join us as a Santa's Helper! (Donations of $10–$49 or volunteer hours earn you a spot in the Santa Club).
Memory Tree Lantern
Honor a Loved One
We invite you to be a part of a beautiful community tradition. Each year, we create a Memory Tree—a glowing tribute to the loved ones who remain in our hearts.
For a sponsorship of $100, a lit lantern will be placed within this stunning display behind the library from November 13th through January 4th. To ensure every loved one is honored, a dedicated sign will be placed beneath the tree listing the names of everyone being remembered.
All proceeds from the Memory Tree lanterns directly fund the Riverwalk Lights project, helping us keep Hartford sparkling for all to enjoy.
Downtown Decorations
Our volunteers transform our downtown for the holidays. We collect greens and other natural materials and decorate our urns for winter interest.
In 2021,VBH purchased lit wreaths and garlands for the lamp posts in the downtown area.
We partner with the High School on a Saturday morning in October and students come and volunteer their time to install the garlands and other décor. The kids are just amazing!
VBH adult volunteers install the wreaths because of the extra high ladder work.
The City of Hartford Utility Dept. helps by hanging all the wreaths along busy Hwy 60. At the end of the season the Utility Dept. comes and helps VBH volunteers take down all the wreaths and garlands and we store them away.
