The annual University of Arizona Homecoming Parade will commence on Saturday, Nov. 2 at 9:30 a.m. on the UA Mall.
According to Lisa Valentine, director of alumni travel and signature events for the Alumni Association, the parade route will travel south down Cherry Avenue from First Street and Second Street. The parade will then go west down University Boulevard, before turning around at Old Main and going back east on University Boulevard and out on Campbell Avenue.
The floats and other celebratory creations set up on First Street and Second Street. Safety has been considered in the making of the parade route and the route had been moved away from Sun Link trolley routes for pedestrian safety, according to Valentine.
Adia Barnes and the Arizona Wildcats women’s basketball team are grand marshals of this year’s parade.
Valentine said the alumni band and school band both perform along with the Homecoming royalty ride and the multicultural groups that have floats as well. The class of 1969 will march in the parade, celebrating their 50-year reunion. The engineering fraternity Theta Tau Chi builds a float every year as a tradition.
The parade started in 1929 and missed one year because of WWI and two years because of WWII. There are usually about 50 floats, and about 75% are from student groups.
Bhumi Phanindra, a sophomore neuroscience and cognitive science student, will attend the parade for the first time this year.
“I’m really looking forward to the parade,” Phanindra said. “I can’t wait to see all of the floats and the band.”
Rachel Diehl, a sophomore pre-business student, will also attend for the first time this year.
Diehl said, “I think parades are a huge American tradition and I think it’s cool that UA has it.”
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