People sat in camping chairs and lay woolen blankets on their legs to prepare themselves for a long night of festivities and cold air.

John Post, along with the rest of his family, came from Hillman to see the parade, as they’ve done for at least eight years in a row to see the floats and have fun.

“We like to come over here,” Post said. “It’s something nice to do during the winter months.”

The Post family had a lot to look forward to for this year’s parade. The Post kids like to see the Santa Claus float and the Hillman High School marching band was part of the parade, so the family was excited to see them play.

News Photo by Mike Gonzalez Santa waves to the crowd during the Bolenz Jewelry Holiday Parade on Friday night in downtown Alpena.

The night became darker and the air became colder. More and more people gathered together in anticipation for the parade.

The marching band’s drumline could be felt by everyone in the crowd, but the floats weren’t around, yet. Kids ran into the streets and looked into the distance down the road to see flashes of red and white from an Alpena police cruiser.

Slowly but surely, the parade marched its way down Chisholm Street.

And it arrived with festivity and cheerfulness between each float.

Parade marchers tossed candy to the crowd. Holiday lights shone from float to float.

News Photo by Mike Gonzalez The Hillman High School marching band plays during the Bolenz Jewelry Holiday Parade on Friday night in downtown Alpena.

Christmas music blared on speakers and one float had its own live band playing “Grandma Got Ran Over by a Reindeer,” with a metal twist.

Judges looked at all floats and decided on three commercial and three non-commercial floats as winners of the parade.

The three non-commercial float winners were, in first place, the Alpena County Fair, in second place, Boy Scout Troop 92, and, in third place, Friends of Alpena County Animal Control.

The three commercial float winners were, in first place, Holcim, in second place, Re/Max New Horizons, and, in third place, Bolenz Jewelry.

The winners can pick up trophies and prize money at the Alpena Area Chamber of Commerce office, 235 W. Chisholm St., starting Tuesday.

To end the night, Santa Claus was on the last float in the parade, but he had plenty of friends with him to end everything on a merry note.

Claus was joined by elves as they all watched “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” on a TV as a giant Rudolph blow-up balloon stood behind them.