STEUBENVILLE — Five marching bands, four dance groups and one Jolly Old Elf are among the entries headlining today’s Sights and Sounds of Christmas: Nutcracker Magic Parade.

Sponsored this year by TEAM Automotive Group, organizer Mary Snyder of the Steubenville Visitors Center said the parade will begin at noon, “rain or shine.”

“We started with 104 units, five backed out,” Snyder said. “So as of this moment, we have 99 units — that’s the largest we’ve had since I’ve been here — that’s seven years.”

Snyder said they have a number of new entries, including a dance group from McDonald, Pa.

“We have more new ones than in the past,” she said.

“And, we have homecoming queens from Big Red, Central, Indian Creek and Toronto.”

This year’s grand marshal is Steubenville City Schools. Snyder said longtime educator Pat Fletcher, Steubenville City Schools Superintendent Melinda Young and her grandson, Jack Reeves, will ride in the four-seat carriage. City employees will ride in the trolley, and Santa will arrive on the city’s tanker sleigh.

“This year, the Big Red band will lead Santa,” Snyder said. “Santa will still be on our traditional float, the tanker design. It’s a big red sleigh cut out of a tanker, the same one we use to take nutcrackers to other parades.”

Snyder said the Kessler family, a contributing sponsor, is responsible for the sleigh.

“Several years ago they asked us if we were interested, and we were,” Snyder said. “It’s really cool and we’ve used it ever since.”

The parade, which will be televised, will travel on Fourth Street between North and South streets. Prizes will be awarded for the most creative floats and entries.