Whether you’re doing last-minute shopping or traveling for the holidays, it was a busy Friday night.

Nearly a million people in our state will be traveling to visit family and friends this holiday season, but before they can do that, they need to do some last-minute holiday shopping.

It’s hard to have the time of giving without also being the time of spending.

“Clothes, makeup, hair products, brushes, earrings and apple products,” said Anne Tomchuck of Orange.

“A few jackets for the winter,” said Cassie McKittrick of Branford.

Shoppers flocked to The Shops at Yale in New Haven to buy gifts for their loved ones.

Some are there to find the bargains, like Tomchuck.

“Last minute offers, we’re hoping for a last minute offer or a trade-in offer,” she said.

Others take advantage of the last-minute shopping experience, like John McKittrick of Branford.

“If I was a little smarter, I probably should have saved money, but I didn’t,” he said.

As for the retailers themselves, Jahnaya Stone of Lou Lou Boutiques said local stores are seeing a lot of traction.

“It’s definitely going to be busy, especially this weekend,” Stone said. “By Christmas Eve we will be open until nine o’clock instead of eight o’clock because it will be very busy.”

If the crowds in the malls don’t tell you it’s the holiday season, the snowy highways will.

“Yeah, the roads were fine, there’s no slippery conditions out there,” said Jon from Madison.

People who stopped at the Branford rest area on Interstate 95 said traffic was light during rush hour. But as a cold snap loomed on one of the busiest travel days of the year, CT Department of Transportation vehicles were out in full force.

“I see people putting salt on the streets, I see people stopping, police officers, emergency responders on duty,” said Mekhi Barnett of Stamford.

If you plan to travel by car over the next few days, AAA says it recommends traveling the morning before and after Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The worst time to travel is midday to afternoon.