The holiday season has begun in Palmerton.

On Saturday, the borough put on its sixth annual Christmas in the Park. The event, sponsored by the Palmerton Holiday Lights Committee, kicked off at noon, with local food and craft vendors setting up shop.

“I didn’t grow up in Palmerton, I moved here, and it (Christmas in the Park) brings together community like I’ve never seen it before,” said Michele O’Neill, chairwoman of the Christmas in the Park Committee. “It is the talk of the town.”

Throughout the day, two horses pulled red wagons full of visitors around town. Members of the bell choir of Holy Lutheran Church entertained a line of children and their families waiting for Santa Claus’ arrival with classic holiday tunes.

When Santa did make his debut, it was on his own horse-drawn carriage, accompanied by the bright red and white flashes of a fire engine and an ambulance.

Under the park’s bandstand, children such as Quentin, 5, and Wyatt Rinker, 10, were able to sit in Santa’s lap, pose for a picture and recite to him their Christmas wishes. As afternoon trailed into evening, the main event — the lighting of the trees in the park — began to take shape.

“It really brings the community and the families together to come to the center of our town, and celebrate Christmas and look at all the different lights, especially in the evening,” O’Neill said. “It’s just beautiful.”

Each of the 104 trees standing in the park were adopted and decorated by members of the community.

One tree, which was decorated by the Little Bombers Daycare Learning Center, was spray painted orange to resemble the character Animal from “The Muppets.”

The Christian Action Council of Palmerton Area Churches hosted a carol singalong in the garland-adorned bandstand to set the scene for what was to come.

“It’s just another way of everybody doing something, a small part of one big thing,” said Susan Arner, CACPAC member and longtime community organizer.

Throughout the day, CACPAC collected nonperishable food donations for its pantry. Arner said that during the holiday season, people come to the pantry more frequently, and the pantry’s need for help from the community increases.

“Being December, it’s one of the biggest times that people hit the food pantry,” Arner said. “They get very depleted in December and throughout the winter because of people having increased bills and living expenses and that sort of thing.”

By Arner’s estimates, the pantry collected at least six large cardboard boxes, and multiple plastic bags, worth of food on Saturday. “They were very pleased. It was a very good turnout,” she said.

Christmas in the Park was another way to bring the residents of Palmerton together.

“This is just an extension of showing what the Palmerton community has to offer,” Arner said. “Whether it be from the Sunday night concerts in the park to the community festival to this, the community of Palmerton is a group that always comes together and shows their support for everything that’s happening.”