Sanctus Real and Miss Ohio celebrate the 2012 festival WATCH THE VIDEO

A heat index hovering in the area of 100 degrees did not diminish the crowds that lined the streets of Hillsboro Thursday evening for the 2012 Festival of the Bells parade.

Former Hillsboro Fire Chief Jerry Powell was the parade grand marshall, and rode in a Hillsboro Fire and Rescue truck driven by interim Chief Jeff Martin.

Powell was chief of Hillsboro Fire and Rescue for 13 years before his retirement in May.

Prior to the parade, the Festival of the Bells organizational committee held the official opening ceremonies.

Miss Ohio Audrey Bolte, second runner-up in the Miss USA Pageant, joined the festival committee for the opening ceremonies, and said that she was glad to be able to be a part of the event the event she had often attended as a child.

"I want to encourage you to never limit yourself," Bolte said. "Because we might be from a small town, but that doesn't mean we can't have big town dreams."

Hillsboro Elementary School student Grace Brown sung the National Anthem during the opening ceremonies, followed by the ringing of the historic C.S. Bell Foundry bell that stands in front of the Highland County Courthouse.

The Christian rock band Sanctus Real capped off the first day of the festival with a concert sponsored by the Hillsboro Ministerial Association. This is the seventh year the association has sponsored a Thursday night concert.

Sanctus Real, with members Matt Hammitt (lead vocalist, guitar), Chris Rohman (lead guitar), Dan Gartley (bass), Pete Prevost (guitar), and Mark Graalman (drums), are from the Toledo area.

"It's good to be in the company of Buckeyes," lead vocalist Matt Hammitt told the Uptown Hillsboro crowd. "It's an honor to be here, to help kick off the Festival of the Bells. It's an honor to sing with you guys."