The afternoon sun sparkled on the tinsel and string lights wrapped on the freshly polished brass instruments. A wave of Santa hats and reindeer ears could be seen from a mile away. The sounds of the season became louder and louder as the marching band made their way down the street, kicking off the annual DeBary and Orange City Christmas parades.   

The marching band prepared songs a week in advance to perform at both the Orange City and DeBary Christmas parades on Dec. 8 and 9.  

“We prepared for a week before the parades,” sophomore Sammantha Jacoby said. “We played a piece called Christmas Parade Sequence which is a fun and easy piece to play.” 

Orange City awarded the Titan regiment with the best group over all amongst a variety of acts.  

“We got best group overall in the orange city parade,” sophomore Kenneth Victoria said. “There were different awards such as best lights, most creative, and others like that, but we got best all around.  

The cities’ annual Christmas parades  showcase a wide variety of businesses, groups, and schools.  

“Parades are as fun as you make them,” Victoria said. “They can be easily boring if you’re not in the spirit or not into the environment. If you stay motivated and embrace the Christmas spirit, you will have a great time.