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GREENSBORO — The 20-foot-tall T-Rex might have been the only thing that didn’t look cold on the downtown streets Saturday .

But those who braved a mix of cold air, misting rain and brisk wind witnessed a holiday parade of generous length.

And for some, the wintry conditions only added to the ambience.

“It makes it part of the fun, braving the elements to be a community,” said Lee Mortensen  of Greensboro, watching the floats glide past with her husband and daughter.

Of course, in the end, cold is always relative.

“I’m from upstate New York, so it doesn’t bother me,” said  her husband, Loring Mortensen .

That upstate New York weather was invoked, however, could be seen as an indication of less-than-ideal weather in North Carolina.

With the temperature in the low 40s  but feeling much colder, there were two ways to watch the parade: trying not to look cold, or giving up and looking cold.

That didn’t stop participants or onlookers from making the most of the day, however.

Bands marched while draped in plastic, and kids scrambled to gather up well-chilled Tootsie Rolls. Julie Luck’s  and Van Denton’s  hair still looked sharp as they rolled past in an open convertible.

People lined both sides of the street as the parade swept past. As the event neared the 90-minute mark, the crowd began to thin. By the time the Page High School  band rolled through, the parade route was somewhat sparsely populated, and once Santa Claus and the trailing street-sweepers ended the parade, the downtown streets quickly cleared.

Still, it was well worth it for viewers such as Marvin Saferight , watching the parade with his four kids.

“They’ve all seen something they like,” he said.

He conceded he might not have come if it had been much colder.

But his daughter Taylor  begged to differ. It would take a lot to keep them from enjoying the parade, she said.

“A tornado,” she said. “Or a hurricane.”

Contact Jason Hardin at 373-7021 or jason.hardin@news-record.com