Jay Walsh, head organizer of the Lynn Christmas Parade, said the procession is celebrating its 30-year anniversary this Saturday. The parade begins at 5 p.m. and lasts about five hours.

Now North Shore residents are excitedly waiting for Christmas Parades in Lynn and Saugus this weekend.

The floats are ready, the lights are up, and the trees are decorated.

“Truly thousands of people come out and they just line the streets,” Walsh said. “For a city like Lynn that has some tough spots, it’s really a way to bring everyone together.”

The parade begins at 5 p.m. at the corner of Boston and Summer streets and travels through 22 miles of the city, Walsh said.


“It just grows and grows. This year we even have two wedding proposals that we’re doing,” Walsh said. “People will continue to remember this parade as an important time of their lives. At this point, it’s becoming generational — I bring my 6-year-old daughter every year.”

Walsh said it’s difficult to predict the number of floats in the parade, but the main one carries Mr. and Mrs. Claus and comes at the end of the line.

“It’s an antique firetruck and we put a full-size, real sleigh on it,” Walsh said. “In front of that, there are life-sized reindeer that we have and the whole thing is lit up with Christmas lights.”

Walsh said the parade was started by his father, John Walsh, and a family friend, Rich Vigers, after they saw the Christmas Eve Parade in Saugus.

“Rich passed away about three years ago, so this is my third or fourth year organizing it,” Walsh said. “It’s something I’ve been in since I was 6 years old and I hope I’m doing it when I’m 86 years old.”

Nearby in Saugus, the Christmas Eve Parade begins at 6 p.m. at the Saugus Center, according to Ken Enos, one of the organizers.


Enos said the parade, which lasts about four hours, will feature a Santa trailer, a live DJ, and a list of characters including Olaf, from the popular animated movie “Frozen,” and Snoopy.

“It’s nice for a lot of people who come into town to visit family here in Saugus,” Enos said. “They get to enjoy it as well and it’s a nice time for the town and the families.”

Enos said he’s a little worried about the possibility of rain, but even that won’t stop the annual festivities.

“It goes every Christmas Eve no matter what,” Enos said. “We’ll be there even if people are out there watching from their front windows. It’s really a good time.”

Enos said the parade gets bigger ever year and this year they’re expecting about 50 floats.

“Every year what I look forward to is the people at the side of the road and all the kids smiling,” Enos said. “It’s really what this is all about. It’s for the people and it’s for the town.”

Olivia Quintana can be reached at olivia.quintana@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @oliviasquintana.