GEORGETOWN — The heart of town was filled with thousands of people and plenty of holiday spirit for Sussex County’s Caroling on The Circle and the Georgetown Christmas Parade on Thursday.

The procession, coordinated by the Greater Georgetown Chamber of Commerce with support from the town, featured about 90 entries and lasted nearly two hours.

Meantime, Caroling on The Circle, which celebrated its 40th year, doubled as a venue for the county’s annual food drive.

When the events concluded, organizers announced that nearly 15,000 canned goods and other nonperishable items had been collected so far for local food pantries.

Kicking off the holidays each year, Caroling began in 1984 as part of the Delaware First initiative. To date, the community has donated some 800,000 food items via the effort’s four-decade run.

“This was a fantastic display of community and holiday spirit. We couldn’t be more pleased, and we are beyond thankful for the support from our schools, businesses, and the general public who came out,” said county administrator Todd F. Lawson in a press release. “So many households truly will be ‘homes’ this holiday season with meals on the table thanks to the support of so many of our friends and neighbors.”

The county’s food drive, which features a 14-by-7-foot collection trailer on The Circle, continues through December, and officials hope to collect at least 20,000 items in total.

The food donated will be doled out to approximately 20 area pantries, shelters and church organizations for distribution throughout Sussex County.