As many as 150 families held tight to a long-standing Greeley tradition and staked out early claims to prime viewing spots along the Stampede Independence Day Parade route.
The parade, which runs north on 10th Avenue from 19th to Fifth streets, starts at 9 a.m. Saturday and is expected to draw as many as 80,000 spectators. It’s one of the highlights of the annual Greeley Stampede, which runs through Sunday.
As early as Monday, people began throwing down blankets and tarps and marking off seating with tape, city officials say.
City of Greeley spokesman John Pantaleo says families first have to get permission from a homeowner or business to nab a spot along the route. So far, he said, there have been no reports of people squatting on land without permission, Pantaleo said.
