The streets of Wareham were lined with smiles Saturday morning when hundreds of residents came out to celebrate their past, present and future during one of the biggest parades Wareham has ever seen.

Taking over two years to plan, the parade celebrated the 275th anniversary of the incorporation of the town on the final weekend of the Summer of Celebration.

Marching bands, military groups, social clubs, brass bands, classic cars, horses, parade floats and more were on display during the roughly 90-minute parade.

"We wanted to give everyone a voice and tell the town's history," said Jackie Hickey, a member of the Summer of Celebration subcommittee in charge of the parade.

The town's history was represented well in the cars near the front of the parade, containing descendants of the founding families of Wareham. Members of the Bourne, Bumpus and Savary families rode in a large horse-drawn wagon. In front of them was a convertible containing three generations of the Fearing family, from six-year-old Benjamin to his grandfather Les.

"Anybody is proud to be a descendent of such an historical town and they were all very proud to be in the parade," said Deanne Fearing, who walked alongside the convertible.

"It all went really well," said John McGonnell of the parade committee, although he did mention that some of the older cars overheated on the beautiful and hot July day.

"Everything gelled today," said Eleanor Martin, another member of the parade community.

John Ferry, the trombone player in the Cambridge-based Hot Tamale Brass Band, said it was the first time he has played in Wareham since he learned to play the trombone as a child at Decas Elementary School.

Originally from Swifts Beach, Ferry has been playing the trombone for over 41 years.

One of the most impressive floats in the parade was from the Wareham High School Class of 1957.

The class members involved with the float, some of whom came as far as Florida for the parade, said they started planning the float in January. It incorporated elements from their time in high school, such as the birth of rock and roll and the importance of sports at Wareham High School.

Class of  '57 member John Walsh said the football team only lost two games in his four years at school. He said Clem Spillane, the longtime football, basketball and baseball coach, was the winningest three-sport coach in the country at the time.

Another class member on the float was recent Wareham High School Hall of Fame inductee Eddy Monteiro.

"We were born on the 200th anniversary of the town and we turned 50 on the 250th anniversary," said Walsh. "We're here for the 275th anniversary and we hope a few of us make it to the 300th."