Santa, and Christmas season, arrive in Mac

Marcus Larson / News-Register## Adults and children sing carols as McMinnville's Giant Sequoia is lighted for the first time in 12 years.

Marcus Larson / News-Register##Santa arrives Friday afternoon on a fire truck, marking the start of the Christmas season.

Marcus Larson / News-Register##Crowds cheer as parade entries march west on Third Street.

Santa Claus arrived in McMinnville Friday afternoon in the annual post-Thanksgiving parade.

Santa and the parade usher in the Christmas season.

Hundreds of families lined Third Street to see the lighted parade. Horses, marchers and vehicles followed the parade route, with Santa bringing up the rear on a McMinnville Fire Department ladder truck.

The crowd moved down the parade route, too, heading for City Park for lighting of the McMinnville Christmas tree. People young and old sang Christmas carols as the Giant Sequoia was illuminated.

It's the first year the huge tree has been lighted since 2005.