1) how long ahead of time do we need to stake out a spot to watch parade at 6:30 pm friday night in May?

2) how long does it last? (We made dinner reservations at 7 at Carnation Cafe. Is that cutting it too short? Will parade be over by 7 or should I change dinner to 7:30 just in case?)

3) any other parade viewing tips I should know about?

Thanks for any and all tips!

I think you can view the parade from the Carnation Café. If memory serves me correct(i did it the first year the parade debuted).

You might want to push it back to 7:30 just in case a float takes a break and delays the parade. I'd find a seat in front of the Carnation Cafe at least 1 hour prior to parade. If the parade ends on time you could just check in early and probably be seated before your ps. You can see the parade from the tables next to the fence but farther back it wouldn't be a good view.