A highlight of every Ohio University Homecoming Parade is the style and sound of the “Most Exciting Band in the Land,” OHIO’s Marching 110.
As Ohio University students, faculty and staff return to the Athens Campus, they and the Athens community are gearing up to welcome OHIO alumni for an annual tradition of Bobcat Pride and a chance to reconnect with their home away from home.
Ohio University will celebrate Homecoming Week 2018 beginning Monday, Oct. 15, and running through Saturday, Oct. 20. An occasion for town and gown to come together, this year’s Homecoming theme, “Athens State of Mind,” honors the special place that both Ohio University and Athens hold in the hearts of every Bobcat.
Organizers of this annual celebration are busy preparing a full schedule of events catering to Bobcats past, present and future, including OHIO’s signature Homecoming Parade.
This year’s Homecoming Parade will kick off at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 20, and members of the OHIO and surrounding communities are invited to participate with spirited floats, banners and displays celebrating this year’s Homecoming theme. The online registration form to participate in the parade, as well as event guidelines, are available here . The deadline to register is 5 p.m. Monday, Oct. 15.
There is no fee to participate in the Homecoming Parade, which is hosted by OHIO’s Campus Involvement Center. Prizes will be awarded to the top three floats and banners, which will be judged on design, the incorporation of this year’s Homecoming theme, originality and spirit. Groups may participate in the parade while opting out of competing. The winning floats and banners will be recognized at the Homecoming football game, which kicks off at 2 p.m. that same day.
The OHIO Alumni Association is also seeking alumni who own a convertible and are interested in driving that convertible in this year’s Homecoming Parade. For more information, click here .
The 2018 Homecoming Parade will remain unchanged from the previous two years and will begin on West Union Street near Factory Street, traveling east on Union Street before making a right turn onto South Congress Street. From there, the route will:
- Turn left onto President Street
- Turn left onto Court Street
- Turn right onto Washington Street
- Turn right onto College Street
- Turn left onto Union Street
- Turn right onto University Terrace
The parade will end at Ohio University’s Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium. Judging of floats and banners will occur on the patio of OHIO’s Schoonover Center for Communication at Union and College Streets.
For more information about the Homecoming Parade and all of this year’s Homecoming festivities, visit https://www.ohio.edu/homecoming and follow #OHIOHC2018 on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.