What's with the Chairs?

We haven't been in town for the 4th of July for a couple of years (unfortunately for us--I can't believe how many years running we had a dog, or a bike-riding kid, or a cub scout pack, or a neighborhood in the parade, or how many years ago I was rushing back to get the block party set up and organized.....). But the Spouse was shocked when the chairs started going up the Friday before the weekend before the 4th (which you recall was on a Wednesday this year). That is, hundreds of Piedmonters took their chairs from their garages or backyards and left them out on the street for--days on end. New Piedmonters were heading into town and my seller offered to put her chairs out for them, if they'd be in town on the 4th. They weren't, but I thought to myself ''what do they think of a town where someone offers to put her chairs out in a public area days in advance?'' I guess they think it will feel like home.