COEUR d'ALENE - Consider this an important reminder.

The Holiday Light Show ceremony and parade will kick off a half-hour earlier this year, so festive viewers should prepare to have their downtown seats secured by 4:30 p.m. Friday.

That's when the parade begins - not 5 p.m., like years past.

Everything else, though, is the festive-same.

Christmas carols, fireworks, 1.5 million lights blazing away at the same time ... the other traditions are primed for takeoff as usual.

So much so, the theme of this year's parade is "Traditions of Christmas." Santa, wise men, and the staples of Christmas are the focus for this year's parade, which is a longtime Coeur d'Alene tradition in its own right.

"Good, family ... traditions," Gay Glasson, parade organizer with the Downtown Association, described the float and costume style for Friday's procession.

The parade is full with around 40 applicants. It starts at Eighth Street and Sherman Avenue. Rain, sleet, snow or hail, it will move west toward Independence Point. The banner bearer will be Coeur d'Alene High School senior Sloane Booterbaugh, which means she'll be the first to float by, carrying a banner announcing the theme. Tradition of Christmas dance routines, which will be featured at the Kroc Center in December, will be a part of the parade as well, as the Downtown Association is partnering with the Kroc Center to make more than just floats happen.

Viewers will then scamper down to The Coeur d'Alene Resort lawn to sing songs, wave candles and watch the fireworks show, where more than 1,400 shells and 3,000 shots will ignite for an 8-minute, no-holds-barred display.

After that, the crowd will start the countdown.

At zero, a flip of the switch will light up 1.5 million holiday lights for the show that was once featured as America's top holiday destination by ABC's "Good Morning America." It will be showcased around the lake until early January.

Sound familiar?

It should, as 30,000 people usually flock to the event each year.

Just don't forget to show up a little earlier.