Florida Strawberry Festival Queen Kelsey Fry and her court

The Florida Strawberry Festival's Grand Parade was still two hours away Monday when the Kidd family staked claim to their favorite viewing spot at Reynolds and Franklin streets.

No one is sure exactly how long the family has viewed the parade from that corner, but James Kidd said it probably has been 50 years. His parents lived down the street, and the family discovered the shady spot was an ideal vantage point.

They just have to get there early to beat the crowds.

"This is our corner. It's the best place to see the parade and, as a family, we always know to meet here," said one of Kidd's daughters, 30-year-old Victoria Stalvey.

Kidd and other family members including daughter Jennifer Kidd, 27, J.W. Kidd, 4, and Donnie Courtney, 8, were among thousands who lined streets from the downtown historic district to the festival grounds for what may be the city's largest parade of the year.

The nearly 100 entries included marching bands, Florida Strawberry Festival Queen Kelsey Fry and her court, a John Deere tractor pulling a wagon load of FFA students and a stagecoach with four horses.

Mulberry residents Megan Beck, 14, her 7-year-old sister, Amber, and a family friend sat near the parade start. Amber didn't hesitate when asked her favorite part of the pageantry. "I love the dresses because they are so pretty."

All along the route, children – and sometimes adults – screamed for goodies that were handed out or tossed from floats.

"They love the beads and the candy," said Patty Foster, a VPK teacher who helped chaperone 39 students from Linda's Little People, a Plant City day care. The children, who were dressed in blue T-shirts, managed to get their share of treats as they stood behind a barricade in the front row of the route.

Nearby, Ronald Hamilton, 5, and his cousin Michelle Swain, 8, had quite a collection of beads as the 80-minute parade progressed. Children love bead necklaces when they are being thrown out, but soon lose interest, said Ronald's mother, Barbara Hamilton of Valrico.

"They become a nuisance to mom when we get home, actually," she laughed.

About 80 friends of Hugh and Amy Gramling watched the parade from the front yard of the couple's home on Reynolds Street. Amy said the couple has been throwing a parade party for about 25 years, serving a belt-busting menu with such foods as fried turkey, gumbo and strawberries.

Guest David Miller said the couple's cooking is the best.

"I don't care what the parade is like, the food always makes it better," said Miller, who staked out a corner of the yard with his wife Emma.

The parade, always held on the Monday following the opening of the 11-day festival, was blessed with sunny weather and temperatures around 70 degrees.

"It was probably the biggest crowd I've ever seen," said Gail Lyons, who heads the organization that stages the parade, although she didn't have an estimate.

There were no mishaps, although the parade had to stop twice for trains. Both trains slowed to a crawl as they passed by the procession.

Trains are part of the daily life in downtown Plant City, which is crisscrossed with railroad tracks.