First parade chairs already up

This had to be a first.

Drove along Manatee Avenue West at lunchtime and what did I see?

Two chairs!

So what, you say?

With the annual DeSoto Heritage Festival Parade coming up Saturday, it is customary for folks to begin lining the parade route with their chairs, staking out viewing places a few days ahead of time.

Chairs usually start showing up Wednesday.

This was Monday!

One chair was plastic, the other an old fashioned dining room number, both in front of DeSoto Plaza on the 3200 block along the south side of busy Manatee Avenue West.

I checked with Jane Simpson, the proprietor of Scissors who always hosts a big party, and she said the chairs weren't hers.

"We'll start setting up Wednesday or Thursday," she said.

They didn't belong to Lyn Lineberger of The Memory Maker.

"I'll block off our corner Tuesday," she said.

Folks over at Carrie Bendixon's BouTiki didn't know whose chairs they were, either.

"Somebody's got them out already?" one said. "Wow!"

A good omen.

Parade day is near