OCALA, FL (352today.com) – Ocala’s annual Christmas parade is this Saturday, Dec. 9. But, don’t try to stake your spot along the parade route with a chair before Wednesday.

A lighted sign on Silver Springs Boulevard alerts residents not to put chairs out before Wednesday. The city says the restriction is for vehicle and pedestrian safety.

https://youtu.be/tPZj-9UtFbw 

Dare to press your luck? The city says it will remove chairs set out before Wednesday and you’ll have to make an appointment to get it back from the Public Works Department.

Claiming a spot along the parade route is as much a tradition as the parade itself. In year’s past, some people have put out chairs more than a week ahead of the parade.

Eager parade-watchers aren’t letting the city’s chair restriction stop them. Over the years, they’ve gotten resourceful and claim their spots using tape to cordon off their territory. Some are even getting festive and decorating their staked spots.

Festive decorations are next-level spot claiming. Courtesy: Whitney Zarder/352today
Staking your spot along the parade route is serious business in Ocala. Courtesy: Whitney Zarder/352today
We don’t want to give people the idea that you might be able to lease your parade-watching spot. Courtesy: Whitney Zarder/352today
This spot looks like it might present a challenge for chairs. Courtesy: Whitney Zarder/352today
Families turn the parade into an epic event with elaborate tailgate-like set-ups. Courtesy: Whitney Zarder/352today
Up and down Silver Springs Boulevard parade spots are already marked off by families who want to secure their place to watch. Courtesy: Whitney Zarder/352today
Access to parking is one consideration when it comes to staking out a parade spot. Courtesy: Whitney Zarder/352today
Having a spot secured for the parade is “sheer bliss.” Courtesy: Hunter/Wind-FM
Securing your spot along the parade route… PRICELESS. Courtesy: Hunter/Wind-FM
The stakes are high for good seats along the Ocala Christmas Parade Route. While chairs are OK after Wednesday most people have staked out their places. Courtesy: Hunter/Wind-FM
Staking your claim to a parade spot in Ocala is as serious as staking a claim during the Gold Rush. Courtesy: Hunter/Wind-FM

Parade Details
Ocala’s Christmas parade is in its 65th year and this year’s theme is ‘Christmas around the World.’

The parade is Saturday, Dec. 9, at 5:30 p.m.

The route begins at the intersection of Southeast 25th Avenue and Fort King Street, moving North to East Silver Springs Boulevard. The procession will turn left (west) onto the Boulevard and go 1.6 miles to Northeast 8th Avenue. The parade will then turn right (north) onto 8th Avenue and end at Northeast 3rd Street, just before Tuscawilla Park.

The roads around the route will close at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday. Click here for a list of road closures and detour routes.

Grand Marshals
This year’s grand marshals for the parade are Ryan, Kait & Palmer Gray. The Friends of the Christmas Parade website says the Gray family was chosen because of their “outstanding contributions” to the community.

The site says Ryan and Kait Gray started McKenzie’s Moment, a 501(c)(3) charity-based in Ocala in 2018 after the passing of the youngest daughter, McKenzie.

“In an effort to give back to the community that took care of the Gray’s during their darkest days, McKenzie’s Moment was created to offer hope and opportunity to women and children in need through health, education, and welfare initiatives within the city of Ocala, FL,” says the website. “Over the past 5 years, McKenzie’s Moment has donated over $3,000,000 into the city of Ocala, through Christmas Toy Drives, Birthday Clubs, School Safety Initiatives in partnership with the Public Education Foundation of Marion County and most notably, a $1.7M donation to help create the McKenzie Kearney Gray Maternal Fetal Medicine Program at Advent Health Ocala.”