Back to School Bash has hundreds of parents lining up at Sierra Vista Mall

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- From the doors of the Sierra Vista Mall and back around the Kohl's store, a huge crowd lined up to get inside Saturday morning as if Black Friday came in August.

"I'm gonna get a backpack and dance," Serenity Hamilton of Fresno said.

When the clock struck 10 a.m., the crowd squeezed inside and the celebration really got started.

"We were so happy because we were waiting a long time," Michael Diaz of Kerman exclaimed.

The deal they got may be better than the Christmas gifts people hunt on Black Friday. Volunteers from the mall, from Clovis Police, and the Kiwanis Club handed out free backpacks and filled them up with school supplies.

"Crayons, glue, pencils and pens," Diaz said.

"I got a pencil pouch, blue super glittery," Jazmin Diaz added.

The second annual Back to School Bash also gave kids access to a robot, a princess, and a Marvel superhero. But even Iron Man was hardly a match for the giant Burmese python only a few kids bravely touched.

The event is designed as a fun way to help families get ready for the school year and get them out to Sierra Vista.

"For us, it's just getting our community together," Natalie Khan with Sierra Vista Mall said. "We love having our community here inside the mall. Do something great for them and have a blast while we're doing it."

So now the kids are stocked up for their next big day. The first day of school, which comes as soon as next week in some Valley school districts.