[SLIDESHOW] Niantic Rings in the Season with a Holiday Stroll

Temperatures were low but spirits were high in Niantic on Saturday when downtown hosted its annual Holiday Stroll. The event coincided with Small Business Saturday, so downtown shops were open for extended hours offering holiday specials and local restaurants were packed as people came in from the cold. 

At the Children's Museum of Southeastern Connecticut, children wrote letters to Santa, who arrived in a gleaming red fire truck, then they waited in line to meet the jolly fellow and Mrs. Claus at the pavilion at Liberty Green.

There was the countdown to the tree lighting, officiated by East Lyme First Selectman Paul Formica, then came the "snowflake drop," each snowflake promising something special from one of the many downtown businesses that participated.

The event was made possible by the many volunteers who donated their time and the downtown businesses that donated gift certificates. As Formica noted, it's events such as this that make East Lyme such a great place to live.