Popcorn, power walkers, and political figures—just a few of the things you can expect at UF Homecoming.
After a slow but steady return to in-person events in 2021 following the cancellation of Homecoming in 2020, the parade and other festivities are back in full force. Homecoming festivities began on the morning of October 7 with a festival, the Gator Gallop and the annual Homecoming Parade.
9 a.m
Bounce houses and balloon arches began to rise from the floor of Plaza de las Américas. The assembly of the festival had begun.
More than 20 tableau events for various campus groups dotted the square, advertising student organizations and local businesses.
Did groups hand out buttons and stickers for passers-by to take home as souvenirs? Some even had scheduled activities, like the UF Chemistry Club, which set up a station for participants to make slime. The Arts and Medicine Center provided markers and crayons for people to decorate their paper crowns, another accessory for decked-out Gators to wear at Homecoming parties.
For the organizations, the traffic of UF alumni approaching their tables meant an opportunity to spread the word about their meetings and events. But for some, it also meant sharing their culture.
The Indonesian Students Association has attended the festival three times, said ISA president Alfredo Sadriya.
They dressed in Indonesian sarongs and carried several angklungs, a traditional Indonesian instrument made of bamboo that is played similar to Western bells. That afternoon, they would perform them for an audience of people dressed in bright orange and blue.
“I am very happy to be able to share this kind of exchange with others about our nation,” said Sadriya.
That morning, Homecoming General Chair Emma Carter said she expected about 1,000 people to come through the festival. After temporarily halting homecoming celebrations in 2020 and getting back into things in 2021, he said he’s confident this year will be a success.
“Last year was kind of working out all the kinks of a new system,” he said. “And this year we’re back and ready to roll, which is really wonderful for the students to be able to have that tradition.”
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10 a.m
The bounce houses began to fill with energetic children as families began to walk around the square. As the crowds arrived, so did the food trucks: B’z Gelati, Halo Potato Donuts and Big Island Bowls stopped by to sell ice cream and açaí to hungry attendees.
Gainesville resident Jamesha McWilliams had to make a personal sacrifice to get her three children to the festival, she said.
McWilliams is an FSU graduate and did not wear orange and blue. He has participated in UF Homecoming events in the past and has always been tempted to wear an FSU shirt, he said. But he comes because his kids love watching the parade.
His family skipped events in 2020 and 2021, he said, because of the COVID-19 pandemic. McWilliams wanted to attend this year because it would be her 2-year-old son’s first time, she said.
The boy stayed close to McWilliams as his other two children climbed into the bounce house. It seemed like all of his kids were becoming Gator fans, he said, and joked that he was bringing up his own alma mater by taking them to UF Homecoming.
“He lives in Gainesville, he brainwashes them,” he said with a laugh. “But I guess bringing them here doesn’t help.”
10:45 a.m
Across the square, nearly 500 people lined up with bibs under a banner labeled “Start” on one side and “Finish” on the other.
They were there for the Gator Gallop, the 2-mile race that has been held for decades during UF Homecoming celebrations. It followed a route that circled the campus and ended back in the square.
This year’s race offered prizes for first, second and third place, as well as a prize for best costume. People were dressed in gaudy orange and blue alligator hats and tutus as they ran.
While organizations like the UF Florida Run Club treated the race as a workout (president Hannah Hosay was part of the first group to finish, clocking in around 12 minutes), many others ran for fun. Some people skated or rode bikes. Several pushed babies in strollers or ran with their dogs.
Even third-place finisher and 24-year-old UF graduate student Johnathon Johnson said the race was a way to celebrate school spirit for him. He took first place last year, but being dethroned wasn’t too bad, he said. Johnson finished at the 11:31 mark.
“The other [winners] they’re very nice,” he said. “You can’t complain about that.”
Don Prokes, Sandy Wetherhold, Judy Ford, Nancy Besley and Jeff Davis have run the Gator Gallop together for the past four years. All around 70 years old, most of them former students of the UF. All of them regularly attend Gator sports games such as volleyball, softball, gymnastics and soccer.
This year’s route is nicer than it has been in the past, Prokes said. It allowed them to see more of the campus through darker places. The group intends to continue coming to the Homecoming celebration and “power walking” the Gator Gallop for years to come.
“We hope to be able to do this for the next 30 years,” Prokes said. “Because then we will all be 100.”
11:20 a.m
Parade floats waited bumper to bumper in the crowded Norman Hall parking lot. The float leaders chatted with each other, taking group photos and preparing for the arrival of the procession.
A total of 137 floats were themed and built by various Gainesville organizations on and off campus, according to parade directors. Just a few that appeared this year were the UF Special Olympics, Planned Parenthood and Girl Scouts.
Will Munro, vice president of UF Special Olympics, hung out with his team of about 50 people in front of his float before the parade began. They played Uno under the shade of a tent while they waited. The group also participated in last year’s parade, both years in hopes of spreading its message of inclusion with the UF community, Munro said.
“The vision behind ‘what is inclusion’ is exactly what you’re looking at here,” Munro said. “It’s walking, walking as one.”
While some floats attached signs or banners to their vehicles, others built specialized structures on which parade participants stood.
In the case of Planned Parenthood, the group built a cardboard vending machine about 10 feet tall with huge papier-mâché contraceptives in its “windows.”
The sculpture represented a student government resolution passed this summer that allowed emergency contraceptives to be sold in vending machines across campus, said Kai Christmas, Southeast regional organizer for Planned Parenthood.
“UF’s theme is ‘this is the time,'” Christmas said. “And honestly, that ties in perfectly with what we’re doing and what we’re fighting for.”
12:00 p.m
Just as the parade was about to begin, onlookers gathered with picnic blankets and lawn chairs on the 13th Street sidewalk.
Katie Mizerak, a 31-year-old UF student, was raised in Gainesville and grew up watching the Homecoming parade. This year, she continued the tradition by bringing her own daughters, dressed in Gators cheerleading outfits, with her.
“It’s a lot of fun,” Mizerak said. “They like to see all the people in the parade and the floats and the bands.”
Lane Stidham, a 63-year-old UF alumnus, said he drove from Sarasota to Gainesville for the Homecoming parade and football game Saturday. With the exception of last year, he has attended every Homecoming parade in the past decade.
“Everybody should come see Gainesville on a homecoming weekend and see the atmosphere,” Stidham said. “It is wonderful.”
Contact Alissa Gary and Siena Duncan at agary@alligator.org and sduncan@alligator.org. Follow them on Twitter @AlissaGary1 and @SienaDuncan.
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Alyssa Gary
Alissa Gary is a freshman journalism major who covers student government for The Alligator. You’ll usually find her watching (and talking) movies, tending to her plants, or drinking coffee when she’s not reporting.
Sienna Duncan
Siena Duncan is a sophomore journalism student and The Alligator’s graduate reporter. When he’s not out reporting, he’s usually annoying his friends with podcasts or listening to Metric on repeat.
