MACON, Ga. – This year, Mercer University's student programming board, QuadWorks, is bringing the traditional Homecoming parade back to campus. The parade will take place on Friday, beginning at 7 p.m., at the Hilton Garden Inn. The parade route will continue down Winship Street and through Mercer Village, ending at the University's College Street entrance. The community is invited to attend.
The Homecoming parade was an annual staple at Mercer until seven years ago when it was discontinued. As the University has transitioned to a fall observance of Homecoming in recent years, and with the return of football and a marching band this year, QuadWorks thought it would be an appropriate time to bring back the parade, as well, but with a twist: lights. This year, all of the floats and people in the parade will be decorated with lights.
“We wanted to bring back the idea of a Homecoming parade, but we didn't want to have just the average, run-of-the-mill Homecoming parade,” said junior Brandon Standard, vice president of QuadWorks. “We thought out of the box and figured that a parade of lights would be perfect to celebrate the Mercer spirit and would be something new and creative for Mercerians and the Macon community to attend.”
The parade will consist of about 20 entries, ranging from student and community floats to the University's marching band and cheerleaders to the band and dance team from Miller Middle School in Macon, as well as the Homecoming court finalists and Mercer's custom-painted classic car and truck. Homecoming points and awards will be given to the student organizations participating in the parade.
“This will be my first Mercer parade,” said senior Taey Wright, president of QuadWorks. “I'm excited about the addition of the lights. I think that it's a great way to kick off the Homecoming weekend. Another cool part is that it's local – you're likely to see somebody in the parade that you know, and that adds to the fun.”
