A stream of Santas, gingerbread men and Grinches marched down Mission Street as Solvang kicked off the holiday season.

On Saturday, the city of Solvang held its annual Julefest Parade filled with 40 floats and performances representing Christmas and the city's Danish heritage.

The parade is part of a series of events that Solvang hosts throughout December. On Friday, the town celebrated a Christmas tree lighting in Solvang Park.

Near the end of the event, the parade was paused due to a medical emergency. An ambulance was called after a woman in the crowd collapsed. Medics attended to the woman before taking her away in an ambulance.

The parade was redirected down Atterdag Road and continued onto Copenhagen Drive.

Among the participants were incoming Mayor-elect David Brown and current Mayor Mark Infanti. The two drove down the street waving to the crowd from a pair of cars.

The parade also featured floats driven by local businesses and members of the community who dressed in various costumes and threw candy canes and other treats to the crowd.

The event drew hundreds of visitors who lined Mission Drive to see the parade make its way down the street.

One of these visitors was Ashlee Jensen, who was attending the parade with her husband and two kids. Jensen traveled to Solvang from San Diego with her family and some friends.

This was the third year that Jensen attended the event. They originally decided to come as a way to celebrate her husband's Danish heritage and made it into a family tradition.

"We love the floats and how festive and Christmasy it feels," Jensen said. "It's just a cozy kickoff to Christmas."

The city asked Allan Jones to host the parade and introduce the floats. Jones has hosted the Julefest Parade in the past and also hosts the Fourth of July parade.

Jones said his favorite part of the parade was the creativity and thought the participants put into their presentations.

He continued by saying that the Julefest is a fun and safe activity for families and allows them to experience Christmas in a unique way.

"This is probably one of the best Christmas parades," Jones said. "(Solvang) has been voted one of the nation's most Christmasy towns, and if you want to experience Christmas in a more European setting, this is it."

The 2024 Julefest will run throughout the month of December and end on Jan. 5. For a full schedule of the festival and events, visit solvangusa.com.