The great thing about this time of year is all the festivities that surround the holidays.

Here ais a sampling of some of them:

The Downtown Mystic Holiday Stroll and Luminaria 2022 takes place from 5 to 9 p.m. Dec. 6.

The Niantic Holiday Stroll likewise features shops staying open and offering specials and giveaways on Small Business this Saturday, from 3 to 7 p.m.

The Stonington Lobster Trap Tree, featuring 420 new lobster traps and hundreds of hand-painted buoys, will light up starting Saturday at Town Dock.

The Ocean Community Chamber of Commerce is also starting Starry Lights, which will be a light trail from Wilcox Park in Westerly to Donahue Park in Pawcatuck. This “Walk of Wonder” will feature large-scale art installations by state artists. It opens at 4:30 p.m. Dec. 9.

The Stonington Village Tree Lighting and Holiday Stroll begins at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 2 at Wadawanuck Square. There’s a community carol sing, the tree lighting, and the holidays stroll, where shops stay open late to visitors.

The Submarine Force Library and Museum Association will host a Holiday Extravaganza Family Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 3 at the museum at 1 Crystal Lake Road in Groton. Saxophone Santa will arrive by fire truck at 11 a.m., followed by photos with children. Other fun includes music by the Fitch High School Jazz Band and activities by the Niantic Children’s Museum.

The Lyman Allyn Art Museum in New London offers a free Winter Wonder Day 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on Dec. 3. It will feature crafts and activities inspired by a new exhibition at the museum, “Chromatopia: Stories of Color in Art.” Visitors can enjoy the museum’s galleries, make art, and take photos with Santa.

Also in New London, the Hygienic offers its “Art=Gift” holiday exhibitions; there’s Small Business Saturday this Saturday; the lighting of the menorah Dec. 18 on Parade Plaza; the lighting of the kinara by the NAACP for Kwanzaa on Dec. 26; and the Three Kings Celebration on Jan. 8 at the Dominican Association of New London’s headquarters at 60 Jay St.

Griswold holds its Snowflake Parade starting at 4:45 p.m. Dec. 4, traveling from the middle school down Slater Avenue to Main Street and Ashland Street, ending at the Griswold Youth Center.

In downtown Norwich, the Light Up City Hall event starts at 5 p.m. Dec. 2, and the Winterfest Lights Parade is at 6 p.m. Dec. 3. The Norwich Arts Center is opening its Holiday Art Show at 60 Broadway 6-8 p.m. Dec. 2.