The eighth annual Chick-fil-A Christmas Parade will bring another year of festivities to thousands gathered at Chesapeake Square Mall this Saturday.

There are 82 registered units for this year’s parade as of Monday, which will be a boost from the 65 in last year’s parade, according to Sean Hess, owner and operator of the Chick-fil-A beside the mall.

Hess started the event years ago with former marketing director Andrew Riddick to get the community excited for the holiday season. The theme for this year’s parade is “our first Christmas,” and the variety of parade vehicles will be decorated for the occasion.

Police and fire vehicles, off-road racing team motorcycles, custom cars and trucks, vintage vehicles and more will participate alongside the Western Branch High School marching band, plus the school’s homecoming king and queen and so many others.

“Chick-fil-A will of course be open during the parade for all food and refreshment needs,” Hess wrote in an email.

The parade begins at 9 a.m. and ends at approximately 10 a.m. Ring Road around the mall will be closed at 5:30 a.m. Saturday and won’t reopen until the parade is finished. That also includes the road from the strip center at the mall to the Walmart store.

The grandstand area will be located in front of the former Toys ‘R’ Us building on Ring Road. Bleachers will also be set up at this location. The parade will be viewable from anywhere along Ring Road, and anywhere in the mall parking lot, but the best place to watch it will be from the grandstand area, where the MC will describe each parade float and vehicle.

All traffic for attending the parade and shopping at the mall will enter off Portsmouth Boulevard beside the Wendy’s. All businesses on the exterior of Ring Road will be accessible by the entrances closest to either Taylor Road or Portsmouth Boulevard.

Visit facebook.com/ChickfilaPortsmouthBlvd for more information.