Crowds line Visalia streets for 71st Candy Cane Lane Parade

VISALIA, Calif. (KFSN) -- Monday afternoon, Corina Ceballos was sitting along Main Street, saving seats for family and church friends, ahead of the 71st annual Candy Cane Lane Parade in downtown Visalia.

"I decided to come out so we can get some really good seats for us and the kids so we can enjoy the parade," Ceballos said.

They better be good seats, because she's been there since 7:30 a.m., but this isn't some kind of duty for Ceballos. She knows the wait will be well worth it, to see her daughters perform in the parade, and to witness her grandson's reaction when he watches it for the first time.

"He's going to be two so it'll be exciting to see, he loves the drums and just the different things so it'll be exciting to see it," Ceballos said.

Meanwhile, Pacific Treasures & Gourmet has called Main Street home for more than 25 years. Owner Michelle Wiebe says the parade gets everyone in a festive mood every year.

"Everybody gets really happy when they're coming to the parade," Wiebe said.

Wiebe will close up shop before the parade starts, because she knows people want to just enjoy the Visalia tradition-one she's been celebrating for years.

"My dad had a car dealership down the street when I was a little girl so we started when I was like four years old going to the parade," Wiebe said. "Yeah it was a big deal, (a) big deal!"

In total, there are 120 entries for this year's parade. The theme is a Story Book Christmas.