Paula St. Jean of Colchester is a self-described Costco addict and the big-box retailer is one of the reasons she travels to East Lyme so frequently. But Costco was not in her plans on Saturday.

St. Jean joined her grandchildren, Peter, 8, and Ella, 5, on a trip to Niantic with family that wasn’t all about shopping. She also expected there would be hot cocoa, cookie decorating and Santa letter writing for the kids.

St. Jean walked along Main Street to join the crowds of people for the 20th Annual Holiday Stroll, part of the national Small Business Saturday. The day was created to highlight small businesses and the positive impact they have on local communities. The day is nestled in between Black Friday and Cyber Monday when the larger retailers tend to get the attention.

“This is just a beautiful town and I love the little shops. They all have something to offer that I don’t think you can duplicate in other places, definitely not at a place like Walmart,” St. Jean said.

St. Jean had just visited Anna Pearl’s Curiosities and Olde Red Saltbox on Main Street but the grandkids appeared to be getting restless and the group’s next stop was Elf Central for instructions on a scavenger hunt.

At Past To Present, an antique shop at 260 Main St. in Niantic, customers browsed through holiday decorations and at the “Tis’ the Season” pop-up shop at the front of store. Store owner Josh Haderski said Tis’ the Season was a nod to the name of the shop his grandmother had run at the same location for many years before he opened up about a decade ago.

Haderski, who is a board member of Niantic Main Street, the organization that hosted Saturday’s event, said Saturday is a good kickoff to the holiday season that is so crucial financially for so many businesses.

“It’s a holiday open house of sorts,” Haderski said. “Historically, it’s a very good day for all the merchants in town.”

Small Business Saturday was celebrated in southeastern Connecticut communities in a variety of different ways.

The Greater Norwich Area Chamber of Commerce hosted a shop local holiday bazaar at the Holiday Inn in Norwich, showcasing one-of-a-kind items from 75 different vendors. Chamber President Angela Adams said the event was a great way to showcase vendors who either don’t have a brick and mortar store or who do but know the event can get them a little bit more exposure.

Former Electric Boat carpenter Richard Longo, founder of RNL Woodturning, offered up an array of handmade wooden bowls and other unique items he created at his home workshop in Norwich. Woodturning is a craft that involves use of hand tools and a lathe - similar to a potter’s wheel - to carve a piece of wood into a variety of objects.

Longo said he turned what had been a hobby into a small business. Longo’s wife, Diane, said with a smile that she encouraged her husband to visit his workshop as often as possible after his retirement.

At a nearby booth, Waterford husband and wife team Jeff and Sue Wideman, owners of Walking Tree Creations, showed off handmade wire-wrapped jewelry.

Norwich couple Bernadette and Mike Lentini left the bazaar with a bag full of holiday decorations, including what looked to be a Santa gnome.

“We love supporting local businesses,” Bernadette Lentini said.

Visitors at the Norwich event were greeted by two miniature horses from the Baltic-based nonprofit A Lil’ Luv Mini Horse Therapy Inc., an organization that visits nursing homes, hospitals and schools. Owner Loree Osowski’s father-in-law, Joseph Osowski, signed and sold copies of his book, “The Ant with Red Pants,” to benefit the organization.

Elsewhere, the Downtown New London Association was highlighting its eclectic group of shops and restaurants on Saturday. Events included an opening reception Saturday evening for Art=Gift, an annual show The Hygienic on Bank Street. The Hygienic will have handcrafted art by local and regional artists that will be on display through Dec. 23.

An invention of American Express credit card company in 2010, Small Business Saturday is co-sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Association which projects spending on this Saturday each year reached an estimated $17.9 billion in 2022.

g.smith@theday.com