By Jasmine Salvesen
As one of Homecoming”s longest running traditions, the BYU Parade will skirt the perimeter of campus 10 a.m Saturday.
“The parade is one of the few ways the community, students and alumni can celebrate together,” said Ron Jones, event management coordinator. “In the parade alone, there are over 1,000 participants, and it creates a great opportunity for students and the community to support Homecoming and what is stands for.”
A special treat for the Homecoming Parade includes 10 athletes and coaches who competed in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens who will serve as the grand marshals.
Charlene Winters, director of alumni and external relations, said there will be seven athletes and three coaches. She said other Olympians associated with BYU, who were not able to attend, will be honored.
The athletes who will serve as the grand marshals are Megan Dirkmaat, Rachelle Kunkel, Tiffany Lott-Hogan, Marsha Mark-Baird, Leonard Myles-Mills, Justin Wilcock and Diogo Yabe.
Rob Browning, Hugh McCutcheon and Craig Poole are the coaches who will be honored.
The parade route will begin on University Parkway, in the parking lot of the Harman Building. It will turn south onto 900 East and travel up to 820 North. There, the route will go west until it hits the Sinclair gas station where it will connect with 800 North. For the last leg, the parade route will turn north at 150 East and end just past the Smith Fieldhouse.
The spectators will find announcers will be giving descriptions and information about each entry as they pass. Announcers will be located throughout the route: the Creamery on 900 East, the Sinclair station at the corner of 820 North, the Botany Ponds along 800 North and at the base of the Maeser steps on the corner of 800 North.
Each of these locations will also include a pancake breakfast.
Bleachers will be located at the Creamery on 900 East and the bottom of the Maeser steps to seat spectators looking for a prime place to watch the parade.
“It is going to be such a fun parade with the wide variety of entries,” said Tiffany Stewart, a student volunteer for the Homecoming Parade.
Stewart said there are many types of entries that range from Star Wars to horses accompanying the rare Wells Fargo stagecoach.
Many BYU clubs and organizations make up a good number of the entries as well.
“It is a great opportunity for clubs and groups,” Jones said. “It is a great recruiting tool for clubs and a visual way of showing what people do. They get the chance to see it all in action.”
According to Jones, the BYU Homecoming Parade tradition began after World War II, when the university was being built in the late 40s.
He said the parade route used to go down University Avenue, but because of different regulations that present themselves throughout the years, the route changes to adapt to new policies.
