Ohio State’s Homecoming parade kicks off at 6 p.m. Friday from Ohio Stadium. The parade, presented by Taco Bell, will go east on Woodruff Avenue from the stadium, then south at High Street before turning west on Twelfth Avenue where the parade will end at the south oval.
This will the 97th running of the parade, which was established in 1912 under the title, “Ohio State Day.” The event was made an official OSU tradition in 1965 and has been celebrated ever since.
The theme of this year’s parade is “A State of Pride.” Student organizations participating in the event were encouraged to display the theme in their own ways.
“It’s about spirit, about your pride and love for Ohio State,” said Tyler Cole, the director of marketing and communication for the parade.
There are nearly 100 entries in this year’s parade. Many of the Greek houses and varsity sports teams will be represented, and both the Army and Air Force ROTC’s will be marching. Of course, there will be a performance by The Ohio State Marching Band.
There will also be several entries from the Columbus community. The Columbus Crew will be there along with their mascot “Crew Cat,” and “Stinger,” the mascot of the Columbus Blue Jackets will arrive on a zamboni. The Columbus Zoo will bring along an assortment of animals. “They’re always a really exciting entry,” said Cole.
The homecoming court will arrive in 11 separate convertibles. Each will carry a female and male member of the court. Gordon Gee who will be riding solo will follow them.
The parade is planned by a staff of four students headed by Colette Masterson, the assistant director of the Ohio Union and Student activities. Those students preside over a group of student and faculty volunteers who help with the parade both on the day of and before the event. They also coordinate with OSUPD and the Columbus Police department to shut down the streets necessary to run the parade.
The streets along the parade route will be closed to traffic at the start of the parade and will reopen when the parade ends. Parking will be made available to the public at several campus garages including Tuttle Park, Arps, and Ohio Union North and South.
There will be giveaways along the parade route including pom-poms, rally towels, Mardi Gras beads and t-shirts. The parade ends at the South Oval where it will be overtaken by the Buckeye pep-rally.
