The charming city of Lakeland, Florida, is once again gearing up for its beloved holiday tradition, the 44th Annual Lakeland Christmas Parade, set to light up the streets this Thursday. A long-standing affair that draws families from near and far, the parade sees dedicated attendees staking out their spots even before the sun peeks over the horizon.

Among these early birds is Lakeland local Laura Quintana, who shares, “It gets really crazy with traffic. At least we’ve got the spots. We’ll park far away and still walk, but at least we have our spots ready.” For Laura, rising with the dawn is a small price to pay to secure a prime viewing spot for all the holiday merriment.

Accompanying her in this festive tradition is her son, Juan Quintana, a veteran parade-goer who cherishes the event’s nostalgic charm. “It’s very ‘Christmassy’ and kind of old school. You can tell that people have been coming out here for a while,” he reflects, capturing the essence of the community spirit that the parade nurtures year after year.

This year’s parade theme, ‘Rocking around Lakeland’, promises to enchant the crowd with a lineup of favorite holiday tunes, ensuring an evening filled with music and joy.

According to Jamin Smith from the City of Lakeland, an impressive turnout of approximately 50,000 attendees is anticipated to line the parade route, all eager to partake in this festive celebration.

He suggests planning for traffic and planning ahead.

“That’s the beauty of this parade, because it’s prime real estate everywhere. As long as you’re along the parade route, you want to make sure you get as close as you can, so you have the best view,” said Smith. “There’s going to be so many beautiful floats that it’s just going to be an amazing sight for everyone who participates.”

More than 100 floats, bands, and other groups will leave the R.P. Funding Center for the 1.25-mile route. The parade travels down Lemon Street, turns at Main Street, goes to Cedar Street, and then winds around Lake Mirror. Participants will then travel on Orange Street back to the R.P. Funding Center.

It’s a kick-start to the holiday season that Laura plans to share with her family for years to come.

“It’s something we just come and enjoy, just having family time,” Quintana said.