Area kids got to descend on a downtown Chelsea church to make gingerbread houses on Saturday. It was a popular event. Also, it was serious work.

It may have been serious work, but the serious workers still were festive.

The front of his house was as festive as his hat.

When the sun went down, a crowd lined Main Street for the light parade.

Do you know what’s in a light parade? LIGHTS!

Do you know what else? MORE LIGHTS!

What would a light parade be without an entry from Chelsea Light & Power? It wouldn’t be much of a light parade, that’s for sure.

Oh, and do you know what else is in a light parade? A MARCHING BAND!

(Hey, some of the musicians were wearing lights.)

The parade ended at the Chelsea Teddy Bear Company, where there was food and live music.

As part of the party, the company invited several kids to run through the factory and collect as many bears as they could hold. One participant collected almost more than she could carry!

Those bears were then boxed so they could be donated to area children’s hospitals for Christmas.

Up next: the Nutcracker, and…no, just the Nutcracker.