Celebrate Halloween at New London Waterfront Park: Halloween Town Event on Friday, October 17th from 6pm to 8pm

The City of New London, in collaboration with the Downtown New London Association, invites families to immerse themselves in a spooktacular Halloween experience at Halloween Town, an event set to take place on Friday, October 17th from 6pm to 8pm at the spooky New London Waterfront Park.

Halloween Town promises an enchanting evening of frightful delights and ghoulish fun for all ages. Attendees can look forward to an array of exciting activities:

Trick or Treating for Families: Children and parents alike will have the opportunity to stroll the waterfront, collecting sweet treats and enjoying the festive atmosphere.

Costume Contest: A Costume Contest for ages Pre-K to 5th grade will take place at City Pier at 7:00 pm. Show off your creative costumes and stand a chance to win amazing prizes. This event is proudly sponsored by K-Hits 100.9 FM.

Roaming Entertainment: The event will feature lively roaming entertainment by Justine Nicole Entertainment, adding an extra dose of excitement and thrills to the Halloween festivities.

New London Fire Department Safety Trailer: The New London Fire Department will have a safety trailer on-site, providing valuable safety tips and information to ensure a secure and enjoyable Halloween experience.

Performance by Luis Pabon Dance Arts Centre: Enjoy a captivating performance by the talented dancers from Luis Pabon Dance Arts Centre, showcasing their artistry and adding a touch of grace to the Halloween celebration.

Join us at Halloween Town for a night of spooktacular entertainment and community spirit in the heart of New London. Let's come together and make this Halloween a memorable and safe celebration.

Small Business Saturday

This holiday season we hope you'll join us in supporting our small business community as you look for that extra something special for family, friends, loved ones, and maybe even yourself. New London has an eclectic and cool scene of retailers, galleries, artisans, restaurants, and bars that are all run and staffed by folks from our community. We hope you'll swing through and support them early and often!

We're kicking it off right with Small Business Saturday on November 29th. Shops will have specials, sales, and more including some entertainment options. We hope you'll join us.

Stay tuned to this space for more details from some of our shops and restaurants.

Santa Shopping Stroll - Grab a map and explore the charming streets of downtown New London as you shop for holiday gifts. Check out the list of special offers from the businesses participating on that day. Make sure to visit all the locations to collect Christmas stamps on your map. Turn in your completed map to Flavour of Life for a chance to win a fabulous DNLA merchant gift basket. Enjoy this delightful day-long holiday shopping extravaganza!

New London, CT., December 26, 2025- The City of New London and the New London NAACP will have a ceremony tonight starting at 5:00 pm at the Parade Plaza to light the Kinara for the first night of Kwanzaa. We invite the community to come out and enjoy the celebration.

The colors of each candle have symbolic meanings. The black candle represents the African people, the red candles symbolize their struggles, and the green represents hope for the future. The number of candles represents the seven principles of Kwanzaa. Together, the candles are called the mishumaa saba. The candles are lit according to the numbering of the Principles:

Umoja (1)- (Unity) To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation, and race.

Kujichagulia (2) - (Self-Determination)

Ujima (3) - (Collective Work and Responsibility)

Ujamaa (4)- (Cooperative Economics)

Nia (5) - (Purpose)

Kuumba (6) - (Creativity)

Imani (7) - (Faith)

The word kinara is a Swahili word that means candle holder. The seven candles represent the Seven Principles (or Nguzo Saba) of Kwanzaa. Red, green, and black are the symbolic colors of the holiday. During the week of Kwanzaa, a new candle is lit on the kinara each day.