MONROE — Gearing up for his Christmas ride around the world, Santa Claus will ride his sleigh down Main Street this weekend.

Annual holiday parades are planned for Marshville on Saturday and Monroe on Sunday.

Kim Wolfe with Union County Smart Start helped organize the Monroe parade and said she likes seeing the children in the parade best.

“Because of their excitement,” she said. “They are always so excited to be a part of it.”

The Marshville parade will be 3 p.m. Saturday on Main Street with bands, fire trucks and local celebrities.

The Monroe parade will begin 2 p.m. Sunday and feature 10 high school marching bands and princess candidates from area schools. Union County Man of the Year Bobby Griffin and Woman of the Year Gwen Perkins will serve as marshals.

Wolfe said that there is no rain date for the Monroe parade and “the show will go on” regardless of the weather. “I’m being very optimistic at this point,” she said. “I keep saying it can rain Sunday morning but will clear up by Sunday afternoon.”

The forecast for both days, however, is partly cloudy with highs in the mid-60s.