Chairs starting to line the Fourth of July parade route in Canonsburg

Chairs have begun to line the route for the upcoming Fourth of July parade in Canonsburg, one of the largest Independence Day parades in all of Pennsylvania.

The Canonsburg Fourth of July parade will be celebrating its 63rd year this Saturday and if you're going to be going to a big parade, you want to have a clear view and a good place to sit.

In Canonsburg, parade veterans take that seriously and don't take any chances as they reserve their spots ahead of time with chairs placed along the route starting 48 hours before the parade.

But it's not just about saving your spot -- it's also about tradition.

"It's become a family tradition, one that we look forward to every single year," said Kelly Orrison. "The kids especially."

"We started out for our parents because they were older," said Joe Graff. "It just grew into all family and now it's like, we end up with 50, 60 people here. We set up a grill, we cook for everybody, and all the kids have a blast."

Canonsburg's Fourth of July events will begin with a 5K race at 7:30 a.m. and a ringing of church bells at 9:00 a.m., followed by the parade, which is scheduled to get underway at 10:00. 

Because of the extreme weather that is blasting the Pittsburgh area with hot temperatures and high humidity, parade organizers said there will be several cooling stations around the area.