On the first Saturday of December, friends and families gathered along West Bel Air Avenue in Aberdeen for the Christmas Street parade.
The parade began with local politicians, including Mayor Michael Bennett and several Aberdeen council members. Cal Ripken Jr.'s mother, Vi Ripken, also rode along at the start of the parade.
For Patricia Tress, however, the military presentations are her highlight in the annual parade.
"My husband is retired military," she said.
Tress, of Aberdeen, came with her 13-year-old son, Travis, and has been coming to the parade every year since he was 4.
"I just like the whole experience of it," Travis said.
This year Tress added the Steppingstone Museum event and craft fair to her holiday festivities, too. She praised the "beautiful weather," and the season in general, adding that her favorite part of the season is seeing everyone in her family "so happy."
The Christmas parade featured several marching bands, including units from North Harford, Joppatowne and Edgewood high schools. Of course, the town's flagship school, Aberdeen High School, was represented as well.
Several parade-goers were there to support students in the Aberdeen High School marching band, including Ladonna and Dusharne Sparks, whose son is a band member.
Ladonna Sparks also wanted to cheer on Cub Scout Pack 820, for which she used to be cubmaster.
But it's the unity of the holiday season that excites Ladonna Sparks the most, she said.
"I love the holiday season," she said. "People seem to come together more this time of year."
Joyce and William Twitty, of Aberdeen, also had a daughter in the Aberdeen High School marching band, playing alto saxophone. In addition to the parade, the family also planned on watching "Christmas Story" at Aberdeen Proving Ground.
The family has been coming for the past three years and this year was even better because of the nice weather, William Twitty said.
Throughout the parade there were several costumed characters, including the Grinch, the Cat in the Hat, Spongebob Squarepants and the Aberdeen IronBirds mascot.
It was the fourth year for Cindy Powell and Michael Smith as well as 4-year-old Corey Smith and 2-year-old Avery Smith, all of Aberdeen. Following the parade, they planned on heading to Festival Park to see Santa Claus and the Christmas tree lighting.
This year, Powell said, was "just as good if not better."
Along with the anticipation and preparation, which for her are the best parts of Christmas, Powell also praised the parade as a whole.
"It's very, very nice," she said, "and something great for the children."
Deborah Petz and Valerie Good were also there to support their granddaughter, who was performing as part of a Havre de Grace cheerleading squad. With them was Dan Petz, Deborah Petz's son and Good's son-in-law.
"[We] had to see the grandbaby," Good said.
This was their first time and it was "pretty good," Dan Petz said, with Good adding that it was bigger than she thought it would be.
Dan Petz had already been to his hometown Havre de Grace Christmas parade Friday and Deborah Petz, of Abingdon, was planning to see Sunday's Bel Air parade, as she has done every year.
For her, the best part of the parades was the finale, when Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus came down in their sleigh.
She wasn't alone, either, when many cheers greeted the holiday couple as they finished the parade with Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer in tow.
The happiness of this time of year is Good's favorite part, as well as that "everybody just actually has the spirit" of the holidays.
"It's Christmas," she added, "'Tis the season!"