MARIETTA — Marietta is a small town with big holiday spirit as it brought in the holidays with its 23rd annual Christmas parade Saturday morning in grand fashion.

Although gray skies threatened rain and the temperature was chilly, hundreds of people showed up and watched the parade travel down Marietta Road.

The rainy weather forecast almost stopped Bobbie Stone of Lumberton from bringing 5-year-old Seth and 7-year-old Rainey Thompson to the parade.

“At first, I said ‘guys, let’s not go,’ but they dragged out their umbrellas,” Stone said. “Christmas only comes once a year, so we came. I’m glad the weather held up.”

Many brought their umbrellas, but the weather cooperated throughout the entire event, which lasted almost an hour and a half.

The parade began with Blue Steel, a local Harley-Davidson club.

The streets of Marietta vibrated with revving engines, sirens, and Christmas music. Candy was being thrown from fire trucks and floats as kids excitedly scurried to catch the flying sweet treats.

“It’s my first time in about 20 years,” Stone said. “It was down to earth and old fashioned.”

The parade had a little over 100 units including a variety of old cars, tractors, clowns, fire trucks and emergency vehicles, and floats.

Marching bands from Rowland Middle School, Fairmont, South Robeson, and Lakeview high schools had the crowd pumped and even dancing as they passed through playing Christmas music and stepping to rhythmic drum line beats.

Leslie Wilson came from South Carolina to bring her 7-year-old son, Sharron, to the parade. His favorite part was a small band of Indy cars that came through and he loved watching them race and speed around in circles.

“I loved it,” said Leslie. “I loved the horses, the school bands — it was awesome.”

The parade ended with a group of horses following Santa Claus, who gave his reindeer a break by riding into town in a Whitehouse Volunteer Fire Department truck. Not only were the kids happy to see Santa, he was handing out more candy.

“I always come to the parade in Marietta,” said Doris Locklear of Fairmont. “It’s a blessing from God.” She was busy collecting candy for children who couldn’t make it to the parade.

St. Pauls also held its parade on Saturday at 3 p.m. which was led by grand marshal Margaret McComrick, a retired business woman and an active volunteer in the community and ended with Santa.