The holiday season kicked off in DeKalb County Saturday with the Smithville Christmas Parade and continued Sunday in Liberty and Alexandria.
All three events featured the DeKalb County High School Fighting Tiger Band, local law enforcement, area firefighters and members of the Rescue Squad and DeKalb EMS, as well as elaborately decorated floats, vintage vehicles,  pageant winners, local scout troops, veterans, equestrians, horse-drawn wagons and many other entries.
The culmination of each parade was a visit from jolly old Saint Nick himself, who let the reindeer rest as he rode into town on a fire engine, tossing candy to eager boys and girls of all ages.
The weather cooperated this week, and the rescheduled Alexandria event went off without a hitch after being rained out last weekend.
The DeKalb Community Bank float entry took first place in Alexandria, while Zack and Ethan Martin placed second, and the Malone's Chapel Baptist Church float was third-place winner.
In the vintage car competition, Doyle Slager’s 1960 Chevrolet Impala took first place.
Charles Barry’s 1982 Corvette was the second-place winner, and Joseph Overstreet won third place.
Charles Caplinger’s 1957 Chevy Cameo received the first place award in the Vintage Truck Category.
John Johnson’s 1965 Ford F-100 took second, and Kevin Bandy’s 1925 Model-T came in third.
In the Vintage Tractor division, Dustin Dillehay 1953 John Deere 60 took the first-place trophy, Steven Cook’s 1944 Farmall H placed second, and Ayden Wood’s 1942 Farmall B was third.
News Channel 5 meteorologist Lelan Statom and his family served as Grand Marshals of the parade in Liberty.
The Dowelltown United Methodist Church won the float competition at the event in Liberty.
Eric Peterson’s 1957 Chevrolet truck took the first-place trophy in the vintage automobile category.
Eli Johnson and Layne Hale won first place in the miscellaneous category with their "Fired up for Christmas" entry.
The Smithville parade, sponsored by the Smithville Volunteer Fire Department, featured Mr. and Mrs. DeKalb County, Jerry Tramel and Kay Quintero, as Grand Marshals.
Calvary Baptist Church won first place in the float competition and also took home the Spirit Award, sponsored by the Smithville Business and Professional Women's Club with their float entry, which featured a nativity scene with a live camel.
Whorton Springs Baptist Church  took second place, and third went to DeKalb Community Bank.