Elm Street was teeming with lights, crowds and holiday cheer for the Padanaram Christmas Festival.

Held on the evening of Dec. 4, the festival brought everyone together to celebrate the holiday season.

The outdoor festival, the wintertime counterpart to the summery Padanarama, brought live entertainment, an a capella group and the Dartmouth Middle School choir.

Santa arrived by firetruck to join in the festivities and meet with the children who have been good this year. Even Anna and Elsa from Disney's "Frozen" wandered through town, taking photos with their fans.

The businesses lining Elm Street had people buzzing in and out, picking up free sweets, food and refreshments.

One of the most popular vendors was Mad Good Cookie, owned by Jon Piwowarczyk. Based in New Bedford, Piwowarczyk prepared exactly 1,000 of his world-renowned chocolate chip cookies to share with locals.

A tradition going back nearly 30 years, realtor Linda Hopps and three others started the tradition in the late ‘70s. At the time, Hopps was in retail, managing a high-end clothing store, and she wanted to find a way to lure shoppers to the village. At the time, the shops weren’t open during nights or weekends, Hopps said.

Dave Antunes has watched the Padanaram Christmas Festival evolve through the years. For more than 20 years, Antunes has volunteered his time to help get the festival organized and ready for the public.

Antunes reminisced on the bigger stage and the wider range of acts.

"It wasn't lit up like this. In the past couple of years, they've really lit up all the buildings," he said. "It looks really nice."

Preparations for the festival began on Nov. 17 when a crew of elves began rigging up the lights to the buildings along Elm Street.

"And it's all about these little guys," Antunes said, gesturing to the huge line of kids before Santa Claus. "It's just a fun thing to bring the kids to."