ROWLAND — Rowland ushers in the holiday season Saturday with its 22nd annual Christmas Parade and Festival.

It kicks off at 10 a.m. and travels from the Rowland Middle School on Hines Street down Main Street and onto U.S. 301, where it will loop back to the middle school. Parade participants will begin lining up at the school at 9 a.m.

“We’re expecting a big turnout this year,” said Dessie Lowry, chairman of the Rowland Celebrations Committee. “If the weather is nice, and it is supposed to be sunny and about 60 degrees, we think we will top the estimated 5,000 people that attended two years ago.”

According to Lowry, this year’s parade will include at least 75 units, ranging from bands, floats, queens, and Shriners marching units, to horses, oxen, vintage tractors and autos, and area fire trucks. Santa will arrive on the town’s antique fire truck, and will give out candy to children at the Santa House — located at the Historic Rowland Depot — immediately after the parade.

This year, the parade will have five grand marshals who will ride on a float sponsored by the local Chamber of Commerce. They are state Rep. Garland Pierce and state Sen. Michael Walters; Robeson County Commissioners Roger Oxendine and Hubert Sealey; and Robeson County Clerk of Superior Court Renae Hunt.

Lowry said that there will be about 25 vendors located in the depot area. They will offer festival goers a variety of foods and crafts, she said.

The festival, which will continue until about 3 p.m., begins immediately after the parade in the depot area. During the opening ceremony, trophies will be presented to parade participants in 10 categories, Lowry said.

Entertainment will be provided throughout the afternoon and includes Valerie Humphrey, a Michael Jackson impersonator from Lumberton; the Peay Family, a singing group formerly from Rowland, and now from Greensboro; and the Gaddis Girls, a singing group from Hope Mills that incorporates Elvis impersonations into its performances.

“We try to vary our entertainment,” Lowry said. “We are big on having, and pushing, local talent.”

The parade and festival is sponsored by the Rowland Celebrations Committee. Lowry said it is being partially funded by a $2,000 grant from the North Carolina Arts Council that is administered through the Carolina Civic Center.

More parades will follow:

— Fairmont’s second annual twilight Christmas parade will be at 6 p.m. on Dec. 4 and will include a tree lighting and live entertainment by Victoria Huggins.

— The 52nd annual St. Pauls Christmas parade will begin at 3 p.m. Dec. 5. There will be floats, cars, farm equipment and music followed by a reception and downtown night out.

— The 23rd annual Marietta and Whitehouse Volunteer Fire Department Christmas parade is at 11 a.m. Dec. 5. There will be food, entertainment, a raffle and auction at the Marietta Community Building after the parade.

— Pembroke’s Twilight Christmas Parade will begin at 4:30 p.m. Dec. 10. There will be bands, queens, marching units, floats and Santa Claus.