“Five days in advance, we started staking out the spot,” he said.
He even tried to get away with placing chairs that early, but parade organizers asked him to remove them, because they were not allowing parade-goers to place chairs or other seating along the parade route until noon Wednesday.
Congregants began driving loops around the neighborhood Saturday to make sure no one claimed their favorite spot, Stroup said.
Among the congregants is a group of about 20 youngsters who enjoy staking out the route almost as much as they enjoy the floats and marching bands, Stroup said.
The 5.5-mile parade will showcase 46 floats featuring a “Hats off to Entertainment” theme, 22 marching bands, 18 equestrian groups and actress Cloris Leachman as the parade’s grand marshal.
Stroup’s group was joined by hundreds of others in claiming spots along the parade route Wednesday.
Many parade-goers marked sidewalks along the route with chalk to reserve spots. Stroup has become friendly with other parade-goers like Palmdale resident Cheryl Nichols and has tried to help her reserve her favorite spot.
“We are a community of staker-outters,” he said. “We work together. You have to stand your ground.”
Nichols was not allowed to set up her chairs until 5 p.m. at her favorite spot, which was in front of a Ralphs Supermarket, because the supermarket needed to have the sidewalk clear for deliveries and store patrons, she said. She and her family have been attending the parade for 23 years.
“We used to live in La Crescenta, but we didn’t start coming here until we moved to Palmdale,” she said.
They attend the parade every year because they like to see the different floats, Nichols said.
“I love the floats,” she said. “Seeing the floats in person can’t compare to what they look like on TV.”
