AUBURN - At the corner of William and Genesee Streets, a horse-drawn wagon full of children stopped at a stoplight was the first sign Saturday that the holiday season had arrived in Auburn.

The Downtown Auburn Business Improvement District Saturday held its 23rd annual holiday parade and family fun day, complete with wagon rides, a visit from Santa and a tree lighting ceremony.

The day included free activities for children inside the Genesee Street Mall, where the St. Mary's Church Choir sang carols.

“It's a tradition,” said Gene Donofrio. “We're faithful to our holidays.”

Families gathered around Santa's throne, which was vacant and flanked by Christmas trees, to listen to the 12-member group sing with banjo accompaniment.

“Anything that brings people downtown is wonderful,” said Julie Tucker, who lived in Auburn through high school and moved back to town three years ago. “They need to have more like this.”

Tucker waited in line at the child identification card booth set up by the sheriff's office while her three-year-old daughter, Ella, sat on the red carpet leading to Santa's chair and listened to the carolers while nibbling on one of the 400 cookies Girl Scout Troop 1125 made for the event.

It took the troop of 10 girls hours to bake a variety of chocolate chip, chocolate chocolate chip and sugar cookies, but the troop's cookie give-away at the holiday event is one of the girls' favorites, said troop leader Cheryl McEvers.

“This is the one thing my girls always show up to do,” she said.

As the sun began to set on an already-overcast afternoon, a crowd began to collect in the parking lot opposite City Hall, where a bonfire had been lit to thaw numb fingers, feet and noses.

The Auburn Civic Band warmed up across the street, a racket of brass licks and woodwind squeaks, in preparation of a holiday medley to be played as the parade passed.

“It gives us a good opportunity to be out in the community during the holiday season,” said director James Best, “to give our contribution to the music of Auburn.”

The band centered on a tuning note, the music blaring in the background died out and was replaced with sirens, horns and the crying of startled children as the parade began.

Fire engines decked with strings of lights and illuminated wreaths and floats loaded down with festively-dressed children who waved at the crowd snaked through downtown on a path that ended at City Hall. The very last of the fifty parade participants was a horse-drawn wagon with the event's most precious cargo - Santa Claus.

With a attention-demanding whinny the two horses ceased their clomping to allow Santa to dismount into the sea of admirers, who had begun to gravitate to the area. He patted the nearest steed - “Thanks, boys,” Santa said - and made his way to his thrown indoors, where he would stay seated until he had heard every last Christmas wish.

Though some followed Santa, most people braved the cold and wind to watch as the city's Christmas tree was lit for the first time this season.

At the end of a count down led by Mayor Michael Quill (he said he had been practicing), hundreds of white lights lit up the tree, topped with a star and surrounded by cheering and mitten-muffled clapping.

Staff writer Sarah Gantz can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 237 or sarah.gantz@lee.net