Last year, COVID-19 took away the beloved tradition of the Homecoming parade, but now it’s back and more anticipated than ever. The parade is a colorful and cheerful kick-off to the Homecoming celebration, and an overall tone of joy is present throughout the event. It will take place on Sept. 30 at 6 p.m. and is free to the public. 

Anyone who would like to participate in the parade can do so, but they must fill out the school-wide google form sent out by Principal Laura Tobias. Participants range from a variety of different activities, clubs, sports, and more. Some participants aren’t directly affiliated with State High, but will have students there, such as some State College dance teams. 

Ultimately, participants are competing to win the award of best float in the parade. Previous winners include State College Field Hockey, who won in 2017 with their pirate float and again in 2018 with their jungle-themed float, and Girls’ Soccer, who won the last parade in 2019 with their “Who’s Your Superhero in 20-2-0?” float, which celebrated their #JackStrong campaign. 

Even though there can only be one winner, there are always many floats that are crowd favorites. Some of these include the performance that State High Thespians put on, the Homecoming court, Senior Senate, and many more. 

The parade is a celebration of all the variety of activities that are not only at State High, but even just within the community. For students who aren’t in the parade, it is always incredibly fun to sit somewhere along the parade route and watch the procession. 

“The homecoming parade is a really fun opportunity to bond the student body and connect the State High community to the State College area,” senior Madeline Krentzman said. 

All floats will line up in a designated order, which is either at the North campus parking lot or South campus parking lot. The parade route starts at Westerly, marches left onto South Allen, and then another left onto West Nittany Avenue. Eventually, it ends back at Memorial Field, where a pep rally is held. At the pep rally, the Homecoming court is typically acknowledged and the winners of the parade are announced. The pep rally is encouraged to be attended by everybody who comes to both watch and join parades. 

The Homecoming parade will take place at 6 p.m. and begin at Westerly. It is meant for anyone, from children to adults, and is the event that kicks off Homecoming weekend.

To read about the Homecoming game, click here, and to read about the Homecoming dance, click here.