Thousands of spectators cheered as giant balloon characters and floats decorated with holiday lights paraded through downtown Denver on Saturday night.

For many, though, it wasn’t just about watching the 51st annual 9NEWS Parade of Lights. Rather, it’s about celebrating a tradition that countless families look forward to each year.

“This parade is so important to us,” said Angela Ackland, who said she has been attending the parade with family since the 1990s.

Ackland helped her grandchildren, son and daughter-in-law set up their chairs along 17th Street two hours before the parade.

“The world gets crazier every year and it’s so important to make memories with everyone in your family,” Ackland said.

Tens of thousands of people have traveled downtown for the parade over the years. Denver’s largest parade of the year features more than 40 illuminated floats, helium-filled character balloons, marching bands, equestrian units and a special appearance by Santa Claus.

Balloons flying through downtown included a giant white tiger and “Major Waddles,” the popular giant penguin. Some floats included creative designs with holiday lights and characters throwing candy to kids.

“It’s all about our family and bringing the kids,” Angie Decunzo, who attended with family, said.

“We used to come when my grandma came here with us,” she added.

Denver’s holiday parade dates back to 1975. It is the largest and most-watched parade in the Rocky Mountain region, according to The Denver Gazette’s news partner 9NEWS.

The parade began at 14th Avenue and Bannock Street outside the Denver City and County building. It traveled through downtown Denver along Tremont, 17th, Arapahoe, 15th, and Glenarm streets.

The Downtown Denver Partnership organizes the Parade of Lights.

“One of the most magical things about it is the fact that it is such a strong tradition in our community,” Britt Diehl, a Downtown Denver Partnership spokesperson, said while waiting for the floats to arrive.

“There are people that have been coming for decades, for generations,” she said. “But then it’s also something that is equally as magical for someone who’s experiencing it for the first time.”