Looking for a different way to celebrate Christmas?  Then head down to Ivoryton for the Fourth Annual Ivoryton Illuminations today, Nov. 30, from 5 to 8 p.m.  The entire village of Ivoryton will be participating in this Holiday Extravaganza with carol singing, Santa’s Grotto, Holiday Craft Bazaar, and culminating with the lighting of the Ivoryton Illuminations at 6 p.m. (over 200,000 lights) and the arrival of Santa.

This year, the Alliance has chosen not to light the Giant Christmas tree as the decorations were causing some of the boughs to droop and even break.  So the tree is resting and recuperating this year and instead, there will be a variety of animated lighting displays throughout the village,

Family activities include:

• writing letters to Santa and cards to U.S. soldiers and Toys for Tots at the Ivoryton Library;
• Santa’s Grotto and visiting with Santa in the Playhouse (bring your camera if you want a picture);
• Santa’s Christmas Workshop and Holiday Bazaar run by local church groups;
• Christmas books display at Essex Books:
• music by The Sweet Adeline’s, VRHS Madrigals, The New Horizons Band, and the CT Barbershop Quartet who will be playing at various locations throughout the village.
• George Martin will play the bagpipes to herald the spectacular arrival of Santa.

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire plus more, provided by the Essex Lions Club, and special menus at The Ivoryton Tavern, The Blue Hound Cookery and The Copper Beech Inn.

Free parking will be available at the First Congregational Church and the Ivoryton Piano Factory with a shuttle bus service to the village.  The Illuminations will remain through Jan. 6, and visitors can tune their radios to 101.5FM and watch as the lights dance to the music.

This event is supported entirely by volunteers and corporate sponsors including Essex Lions, First Niagara, Essex Savings Bank, Citizens Bank, Guilford Savings Bank, Essex Meadows, Valley Courier, Riggio’s General Contractors and Essex Rotary Club.

If you want to experience some real Christmas cheer, then come and join the party in Ivoryton!

For more information, visit www.ivorytonalliance.org

Niantic Main Street, Niantic’s downtown revitalization organization, is ready to spread holiday cheer throughout the village of Niantic once again with their 10th Annual Holiday Stroll.  The family-friendly, favorite event will be held today, Saturday, Nov. 30, from 3 to 7 p.m. and is free and open to the public.

This year over 30 Niantic and East Lyme businesses will be participating in the Holiday Stroll.  Organizers expect approximately 1,500 people will come downtown for an evening of holiday fun.

Planned entertainment and activities include:

• horse-drawn carriage rides around the village
• a donut eating contest by Giuliano’s Donut & Bake Shop
• carols by the Connecticut Yuletide Carolers
• s’mores stations
• complimentary hot cider and cocoa
• kids games on the Liberty Green
• a snowflake drop
• the arrival of Santa on a shiny red fire truck at the town green at approximately 5:20 p.m., immediately after the annual tree lighting ceremony.

Holiday Stroll Schedule:
3-7 p.m. Complimentary horse-drawn carriage rides
3-7 p.m. Store and restaurant specials
3-7 p.m. Heritage Properties’ Toys for Tots Drive on Liberty Green
3-7 p.m. Children’s arts & crafts at the Police Department with East Lyme Youth Services
3-4:30 p.m. S’more stations
3-4:30 p.m. Letter writing to Santa at the Children’s Museum of SE CT
3-5 p.m. April’s Balloon Creations at Weichert Realtors
3-5 p.m. Kids games on the Liberty Green with DJ WJR
4-4:30 p.m. Giuliano’s Donut & Bake Shop’s Donut Eating Contest
4-5:30 p.m. Meet ‘n’ Greet with Eastern Connecticut’s Ballet’s Nutcracker and Clara from “The Nutcracker” at Sage & Sandalwood
4-7 p.m. The Connecticut Yuletide Carolers stroll Main Street
5:10 p.m. Countdown to the tree lighting
5:15 p.m. Snowflake Drop
5:20 p.m. Arrival of Santa
5:30 p.m. Visits with Santa and letter delivery
7:30-9 p.m. Jazz vocalist April Marie and Pianist Peter Emanuel at Main Street Grille

Children can bring their yearly letters and wish lists to Santa for bringing back to the North Pole, or they can stop in to the Children’s Museum to craft their letter. Visits with Santa are free; parents are encouraged to bring a camera to capture the moment.

Niantic Main Street’s 10th Annual Holiday Stroll is sponsored by the Town of East Lyme, Grace, Liberty Bank, Heavy Equipment Services Company, Niantic Plumbing, Guy’s Oil Service, Bob’s Discount Furniture, Niantic Morton House, Heritage Properties, Dime Bank, Neilan Funeral Home, Levine Distributing & the Niantic & Flanders merchants and restaurants.

For more information and a list of participating shops and restaurants, visit www.nianticmainstreet.org or call 860-739-2550.

The Niantic Main Street (NMS) organization is a 501c(3) not-for-profit organization committed to promoting and implementing downtown revitalization efforts in the villages of Niantic and Flanders, Conn.