Before the parade passes by

COEUR d'ALENE — Friday afternoon, empty chairs lined Sherman Avenue, saving spots for their owners for the 30th annual Lighting Ceremony Parade.

A good two hours before the parade, only two of those chairs were already occupied. One by Aundrea Farmer and one by her daughter, Neisha Farmer.

They didn't care that it was 37 degrees.

They didn't mind that people occasionally stopped and asked when the parade started.

The Farmers of Coeur d'Alene weren't bothered by the steady flow of traffic just a few feet in front of them.

As is tradition, they wanted this specific spot and were willing to do whatever it took to get it.

"Once the parade ends, everybody mass exits to this spot and I don’t have to move because I’m already here," a smiling Aundrea said.

Both were bundled up in snowsuits and wore hats, gloves and boots. Mom had coffee. They chatted with each other and on the phone to pass the time.

Neisha, 19, said she and her mom, usually joined by friends and family, have long claimed this location to watch the parade followed by the annual Coeur d’Alene Resort Holiday Lighting Ceremony and fireworks.

"Ever since I can remember I’ve loved watching fireworks," she said.

Neisha, a fifth-generation Coeur d'Alene resident, said it's a family tradition she introduced to friends from Wyoming. It both welcomed them to the Farmer family and to Coeur d'Alene.

"They’ve never done anything like this before," she said.

So, why not just leave the chairs and come back like everyone else?

"Once you leave, then where are you going to park when you come back down?" Aundrea said.

Besides, mom and daughter enjoy each other's company.

The two rose early for some Black Friday shopping at the Spokane Valley Mall and found a few deals.

"I got this hat,” Neisha said.

But it's not about hot buys, Aundrea said.

"It's more just for time together," she said.

Black Friday remains a Farmer favorite with the parade, which Aundrea described as "down-to-earth fun," and the fireworks, which she said "are better than any other fireworks any time of the year."

Aundrea has also become an ambassador of Coeur d'Alene as she waits for the parade.

"The last two or three years I have been the person who gets stopped and asked all the questions," she said, laughing. "I'm like 'Do I know all the answers?' I guess, maybe.’"