There was cookie decorating, a talking Christmas tree, and, of course, jolly ol' St. Nick heard children's wish lists during the Onset Bay Association's annual Christmas in the Parks celebration on Saturday, December 3.

Santa arrived with fanfare on the Onset Fire Department's brush breaker truck before setting up his workshop in the fire department to speak with children. The line to see the popular guy stretched across the station!

Local businesses hosted everything from ornament-making to face-painting and helped children write letters to Santa. Christmas stories could be heard at the Spinney Memorial Library, and Christmas hay rides departed from Union Avenue, taking riders through Onset Village.

Five-year-old Dominic Quelle was particularly excited about the hay rides.

"We're going on the horsey!" he explained at the Onset Bay Wellness Center as he drew an airplane and a robot on a letter he was sending to Santa. Those are the things he wants for Christmas, he said.

Across the street at Dudley Square, children listened to the Onset Bay Association's talking Christmas tree. It instructed kids to grab a candy cane from its branches, which were decorated with festive red bows and ribbon.

Cousins Jayvn Harris and Randi Rose, both 7 years old, said they thought the tree was pretty silly. (Jayvn even figured out why the tree is so talkative, but we're keeping that a secret!)

Coinciding with the event was the kick-off of the Onset Fire Department Box 5 Association's Stuff a Fire Truck donation event, which will continue on December 10 and 17.

In a partnership with the Victorian Cafe, the association accepted donations of unwrapped toys, nonperishable food items, and cash in an effort to help families in need this holiday season.

The money raised Saturday, however, will benefit prostate cancer research, as a jar raising funds for that cause was stolen from the Victorian Cafe last week.

An antique Onset fire truck belonging to Victorian Cafe owner Bryanne Tucy's father was parked outside the cafe. It attracted many of the Christmas in the Parks visitors, who then stopped by a cookie decorating table to create a fun - and sugary - holiday treat.

Check out the gallery for more photos from the festivities!