East Lyme — Sonya Gallagher, holding a napkin at the ready as her 5-year-old daughter navigated the sides of an ice cream, called it “an unexpected, but not unpleasant surprise.”

The Old Saybrook woman had decided to make a stop in Niantic on Saturday and ran headlong into a sea of cars, people, live music, vendors and kids’ activities in the heart of East Lyme.

Celebrate East Lyme is in its 17th year and annually draws thousands to a seaside street festival held on a closed-off portion of Main Street.

Gallagher, whose only gripe was the difficulty she had finding a parking spot, was among the hundreds of people visiting the array of food stands and vendors’ booths that lined Main Street.

Vendors included downtown business owners who in many cases had set up tents outside their storefronts.

Josh Haderski, the owner of Past to Present Antiques at 260 Main St., said he had been attending the festival since its inception in 2000. Back then he was working with his grandmother, the former owner of Tis the Season, a gift shop at the location of where his shop is now located.

Haderski, whose wares included an eclectic mix of antiques and figurines, said the festival is a lot of work to coordinate but good for business.

“A lot of people find out about you,” he said. “It’s a good community event.”

Knitty Gritty Yarn Girl owner Paulette Meijer of Niantic, whose fancifully decorated mobile boutique bus attracted attention, said the festival might be the first time people were able to find out what her business was all about.

Though she doesn’t own a storefront and the town does not issue mobile vending permits for businesses like her traveling yarn shop, people might have noticed the van.

The retired real estate sales trainer started the business at the end of March and specializes in hosting parties. With yarn shops being replaced by big box establishments, she said she thought there was a need.

“This is fabulous for me and getting me in front of a lot of townspeople,” she said. “A lot of people might have seen the bus but they just don’t know what it’s all about. I’m getting a lot of exposure.”

The day’s activities included a sneak peek of the upcoming East Lyme Regional Theater performance of "The Fiddler on the Roof" scheduled for July 30 at East Lyme High School.

A hippopotamus scored first place in a sandcastle competition at Hole in the Wall Beach. A pile of poo emoji took third place in the event.

The day’s activities were expected to end with a fireworks display over Niantic Bay, sponsored by Dominion.

g.smith@theday.com