The PSNI, Orange Order and nationalist protesters are hopeful today's July 12th parades will pass off peacefully.
It is hoped local accommodations agreed between marchers and nationalist residents at interfaces in Belfast will maintain what has been an incident-free marching season to date.
Tens of thousands of Orange Order members will rally at 18 demonstrations across Northern Ireland. Platform speeches delivered by senior DUP members will be watched closely to gauge the mood within unionism following the deal with Sinn Féin to form a powersharing Executive at Stormont in May.
Key Orange parades in north and west Belfast and at Drumcree, Co Armagh have all passed off without major incident so far this marching season. In Belfast, the so-called Tour of the North march and the Whiterock parade concluded peacefully thanks to local accommodations which were agreed in advance with protesting nationalist residents. Outside mediation was involved.
It is understood that similar understandings will be in force today, although one source said the mood in Belfast was somewhat soured by what loyalists thought was unfair comment by nationalist protesters about the choice of loyalist marshals for a key "feeder" parade which will pass Ardoyne in north Belfast after the main demonstration.
Serious violence erupted at Ardoyne in 2005 but a repeat was avoided last year after intensive local efforts to avoid trouble.
The same arrangements as last year will be in force today with march supporters being bussed past the interface and only a token march by members of the loyal orders.
The police point out that most of the North's 3,000 marches each year are peaceful and uncontested, with only about 30 giving cause for concern. The PSNI has been anxious to save on policing contentious parades which cost the service up to £15 million (€22.15 million) in officer overtime and other liabilities in 2005.
Nationalists protested about the proposed burning of tyres and wooden pallets in some 11th night bonfires, notably at the Ballycraigy estate in Antrim town.
SDLP Assembly member Tommy Burns said the bonfire contained "thousands of tyres and thousands of pallets" and would poison the community.
Unionists responded saying next year's bonfire would be free of illegally dumped materials.
The North's Department of the Environment wants to prosecute those responsible but is hampered by the reluctance of witnesses to come forward.
In Co Armagh four youths were arrested yesterday after an arson attack on Carnagh Orange Hall, Keady, on Tuesday night. Another Orange hall at Mullantur was also damaged by fire.
The DUP's Willian Irwin condemned the attacks, describing Orange halls as "important community resources". Sinn Féin Newry and Armagh MP Conor Murphy said there could be no justification for the incidents.