Essex has its famed Trees in the Rigging boat parade, Chester its Starry Night Holiday Festival, Ivoryton its Illumination, and Deep River its annual Holiday Stroll. The holiday events start this weekend is year, Deep River’s bringing a little something extra—for the first time the festival will also include a lighted parade of vehicles.

First out of the gate is the annual Trees in the Rigging Community Carol Sing and Boat Parade sponsored by the Connecticut River Museum, the Essex Board of Trade, and the Essex Historical Society. The event starts at 4:30 p.m. with a lantern-lit carol stroll from the Essex Town Hall on West Avenue down Main Street and ends at the Connecticut River Museum, on the Connecticut River, with a parade of vessels bedecked and bedazzled with holiday lights on the Connecticut River. To register a boat for the boat parade, email Allie Kyff at akyff@ctrivermuseum.org.

The following weekend, Santa arrives at the Ivoryton Playhouse on Saturday, Dec. 1 to kick off Ivoryton Illuminations. The kickoff features family activities and an evening of entertainment, and the 400,000 lights in the display will be lit throughout December. For more information, visit www.ivorytonalliance.org.

Chester’s annual Starry Night Holiday Festival and Stroll is at 5:45 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 7 in Chester Center. The festive event includes a community sing-along and carolers, luminaria, and cookies. For info, contact wrightbeantree@att.net. The event falls in conjunction with First Friday, an initiative to bring people into the center of town. In addition to serving snacks and drinks, local shops will feature discounts, gallery openings, visiting artists, trunk shows, and partnerships with nonprofits.

With such accomplished neighbors, Deep River decided to add to its annual stroll.

“For years now, we have been talking about adding an additional element to the stroll and this year we decided to take the plunge,” said Deep River Park and Recreation Director Carol Jones.

The stroll will still, of course, include all of its usual merriment, such as the roving Connecticut Yule Tide Carolers, adorned in period clothing, photos with Santa at the Town Hall, the Deep River merchants’ sales and extended hours, the Leo Club (part of the Lions Club) volunteers from Valley Regional High School handing out treats, and the Deep River Historical Society’s Festival of Trees.

“The parade will be an added element,” said Jones, who explained that locals are asked to sign their vehicles up for the parade and decorate it with lights and adornments to compete in a parade, which will end at the Town Hall, where there will be a viewing stand. Winners will receive plaques.

“We really need people to sign up soon,” added Jones. “We are hoping to have at least a dozen vehicles, with the fire truck carrying Santa as the last vehicle.”

There will be a few other changes to the stroll this year as well, including a fire performer in front of the Town Hall, and a bingo card/scavenger hunt in the downtown area stores and businesses. Voting for the Festival of Trees will be extended into Saturday’s event.

“We are doing all this in hopes of getting even more people involved in the stroll and more community members out supporting one another as well as local businesses,” said Jones.

Those wishing to be part of the light parade do not have to be from Deep River. The parade is open to the public. For more information, or to sign up, visit www.deepriverct.us.

The Stroll will take place on Saturday, Dec. 8 from 4 to 8 p.m. The light parade will begin at 5 p.m. at the backside of Deep River Elementary School. The route will include River Street, High Street, Essex Street, and Main Street. The parade will commence on Main Street in front of the Town Hall.