Key Takeaways
- Vanessa Williams will headline Foxwoods’ Christmas Tree Lighting on Dec. 5, with her performance airing on NBC Connecticut at 7:30 p.m. as part of the resort’s 2026 “A Season Like No Other” celebration.
- The holiday lineup includes Rosie DiMare hosting Bingo Unleashed: SantaCon, an outdoor ice rink opening Dec. 4, Breakfast with Santa and adults-only Boozy Brunch events.
- Foxwoods kicks off its seasonal festivities Nov. 28 and welcomes 2027 with a Hairball concert, late-night bingo and a ball drop at Rainmaker Square.
Vanessa Williams is heading to Foxwoods Resort Casino to give its holiday season a celebrity-powered opening. The singer and actress will headline the resort’s annual Christmas Tree Lighting on Saturday, Dec. 5, with a special live performance airing on NBC Connecticut at 7:30 p.m.
Her appearance is the centerpiece of Foxwoods’ 2026 “A Season Like No Other” celebration, which combines concerts, nightlife, family traditions and New Year’s Eve events.
The holiday calendar officially gets underway Nov. 28, when seasonal installations transform the Mashantucket resort and its first round of events begins. Williams takes center stage the following weekend, but she will not be the only recognizable face on the property.
The Real Housewives of Rhode Island star Rosie DiMare will host Bingo Unleashed: SantaCon on Dec. 5, turning the familiar game into a nightclub-style event with DJs, immersive lighting, stage performers and holiday surprises.
Foxwoods is also bringing back several of its biggest seasonal attractions. Its outdoor ice rink will open Dec. 4 and welcome skaters Fridays through Sundays until Feb. 28.
Breakfast with Santa returns to Cedars Steaks & Oysters on Nov. 28 and Dec. 5, 12 and 19, complete with themed food and family photos.
The restaurant will shift into party mode on select Sundays with a 21-and-over Boozy Brunch featuring holiday dishes, seasonal cocktails and a live DJ.
“The strength of Foxwoods is our ability to bring people together for experiences they can’t find anywhere else, and the holiday season brings that into focus,” Foxwoods President and CEO Jason Guyot said in a statement.
Williams arrives with a catalog that includes one of the defining pop ballads of the early 1990s. “Save the Best for Last” topped the Billboard Hot 100 for five weeks in 1992 and earned two Grammy nominations, including Record of the Year.
“They gave it to Bette Midler, who passed,” Williams said. “They gave it to Streisand, and she passed. And I was, like, third one up.”
Williams turned that third opportunity into her signature hit and only Hot 100 chart-topper to date.
The celebration will continue through New Year’s Eve, when 1980s arena-rock tribute act Hairball performs at the Premier Theater and Bingo Unleashed returns with DJs, performers and a midnight cold-spark display.
Rainmaker Square will host a ball drop to welcome 2027, while restaurants including The Bedford by Martha Stewart and Gordon Ramsay Hell’s Kitchen roll out limited-time menus throughout the season.
