More than 500 people enjoyed Christmas dinner Tuesday at the First Presbyterian Church in Parkersburg, which marked its 28th year of offering the holiday event. (Photo courtesy of Chris Alfred)

PARKERSBURG — Community Christmas Day meals have been a tradition in the Mid-Ohio Valley for years and that practice continued this year at area churches, including the First Presbyterian churches in Parkersburg and Marietta.

First Presbyterian Church, at 1341 Juliana St. in Parkersburg, has been hosting a Christmas Day dinner in its fellowship hall annually for 28 years.

The free dinner, which was served from noon-2:30 p.m. on Christmas Day, fed around 500 people on Tuesday.

“The dinner is not just for people in need, but also gets a lot of people who are alone and don’t have anyone to share Christmas with,” coordinator Amy Leach said.

Pastor Mike Sealy said volunteers at the church began planning for the dinner in October.

More than 500 people enjoyed Christmas dinner Tuesday at the First Presbyterian Church in Parkersburg, which marked its 28th year of offering the holiday event. (Photo courtesy of Chris Alfred)

“The dinner had 25-30 volunteers from the community who stop by to help in various ways,” said Sealy.

Much of the food was donated by local businesses, such as Piggly Wiggly, Captain D’s, Columbo’s and multiple individual donors throughout the community.

“This year everything ran like clockwork, from setup and delivery to clean up after and everything in between,” said Sealy.

In Marietta, the fifth annual Christmas Day Feast was from 1-2 p.m. Tuesday at First Presbyterian on the corner of Fourth and Wooster Streets in Marietta.

“We fed around 600 people today,” said project manager Bruce Haas.

Guests enjoyed the fifth annual Christmas Day Feast at the First Presbyterian Church in Marietta while listening to music provided by Puls Family String Trio. (Photo courtesy of Bruce Haas)

Music was provided by Puls Family String Trio.

“We heard a lot of great feedback on the Christmas music,” he said.

Haas said he was really proud of how smooth everything went for the Marietta event. A number of area churches and businesses worked together to put on the event, Haas said, “with food, donations and volunteers.”

Any leftover food and monetary donations will be taken to the Gospel Mission Food Pantry in Marietta, he said.

In other events on Christmas Day, Gihon Tabernacle Evangelical Methodist Church in south Parkersburg held a breakfast Tuesday morning while dinners were held at Coolville United Methodist Church in Coolville and at Tri-City Baptist Church in south Parkersburg.