A quarter of a century after its inception, Bel Air's annual Christmas Parade is still going as strong as ever.
Hundreds of people packed Main Street for the festive event Sunday, which was again followed by a bonfire and sing-along at Shamrock Park.
Even a simultaneous Ravens football game, which usually keeps Harford County residents glued to TV screens, couldn't put a damper on the parade turnout.
"Look at all these people out during a Ravens game," Karen McGovern, of Bel Air, observed as the parade was getting into full swing.
Her friend, Rebecca Ormido, agreed: "They upstaged the Ravens game."
Leah Boring's friend came out of a store during the parade to inform her the Baltimore team had beat the Miami Dolphins.
Boring was at the parade for the first time since moving back to Fallston from downtown Baltimore, where she spent 10 years. She came to the event with her husband and 1-year-old twins.
"We came out to get in the holiday spirit and just to support all the local businesses and schools," Boring said.
"It's a kid-friendly event. That's what we liked," she said. "It's very homey and I love old Main Street. You can't get any more Christmasy than this."
The parade seemed to go off without a hitch, rolling down Main Street over the course of a brisk 30 to 40 minutes. The event's relatively short running time made it especially family-friendly, some attendees said.
"It's usually a little shorter than the Fourth of July one," Ed Shellman, of Bel Air, said. He was with his 4-year-old son, Matthew, who seemed to be waiting excitedly for the star of the show.
"He is just looking forward to seeing Santa," Shellman said about his son, adding they try to come to the event every year.
"He is young, so it just gets him in the spirit of it. He likes seeing everything go by," Shellman said.
Santa and Mrs. Claus, however, were almost upstaged by another winter-themed cast of characters.
The arrival of a float with Anna, Elsa and Olaf the Snowman impersonators, from the movie "Frozen," got plenty of interest from young viewers.
"It's Elsa!" Grace Ormido, who was holding her own Elsa doll, exclaimed. She was watching the parade from the window of Shamrock Coffee, along with 7-year-old Laura McGovern.
The girls said seeing Elsa and Olaf was one of the highlights of the event.
They also liked seeing "princesses," better known as contest winners like Harford County Miss Fire Prevention, go by. Laura McGovern said she likes "when they throw the sticks around," talking about baton-twirlers.
Both had brothers in the parade, representing Cub Scouts Pack 830.
Their mothers, Rebecca Ormido and Karen McGovern, said they love coming to the event every year.
"This is phenomenal. This is amazing. What a great job they have done with the different floats," McGovern said, as Ormido agreed people have very "creative floats."
"Every year it's always packed," she added.
Besides Santa, Mrs. Claus and the "Frozen" cast, the parade featured many area high school bands, including Patterson Mill, Edgewood, Joppatowne, C. Milton Wright and The John Carroll School.
Characters from Chuck E. Cheese and a Girl Scout troop dressed as the cast of the "How the Grinch Stole Christmas!" livened things up.
An Aberdeen IronBirds truck featured mascot Ferrous, while the Humane Society of Harford County paraded dogs dressed as reindeer and in other holiday clothes.
A truck identified as "North Pole Towing" rolled by, towing a North Pole Police car. Daisy Troop 2357 was decorated as "The Polar Express."
The county's Society of Italian American Businessmen was on a float celebrating the Feast of the Seven Fishes, an Italian Christmas Eve tradition.
The business leaders wished everyone "buon Natale," or merry Christmas, as "Winter Wonderland" played from their speakers.
Miniature ponies dressed as reindeer were, as always, part of the parade.
Upper Cross Roads Baptist Church featured a large manger scene, complete with goats and plenty of dressed-up children.
Michelle Wahba, of Ellicott City, was among those who came from a bit farther away for the parade. She grew up in Bel Air and was bringing her husband, Scott, to the event for his first time, as well as her 3-year-old daughter, Layla.
"Just all the families and festivities gets you in the spirit," Wahba said, adding her daughter likes the music and seeing Santa.
"I think it's a good parade," she concluded.