Crowds cheered, and kids collected candy from 10th Street to Harless Field in celebration of Marshall Homecoming with the Homecoming Parade Friday, Oct. 4. 

The parade featured floats from Marshall clubs, the Marching Thunder, the Alumni band, fraternities, sororities and the Homecoming Court.

“It’s awesome to see; I remember when I was going to Marshall, and seeing the parade brings those memories back,” Marshall alumnus James Cass said. “I love seeing the energy the city of Huntington has for Marshall; it’s a beautiful thing to see.”

“Today has been so much fun,” student Candice McCallister said. “Today is just the icing on the cake for a fun week at Marshall. Today alone featured so many fun times and memories that I’ll remember for a long time.”

“Today, I participated in the Car Bash at Buskirk, and then after my classes, my friends and I headed over to the student center to watch the parade, and it was just a fun day,” McCallister said. “Definitely a good de-stresser from the amount of work I had to do this past week.”

The 1974 and 1999 class members are also invited to observe Marshall’s Homecoming Parade.

“I am excited for the game tomorrow, and the parade just elevates that feeling of community,” Cass said.

Marshall also featured a livestream of the Homecoming Parade that can be viewed online. 

After the parade, the bonfire closed out the night with popcorn, ice cream and time to spend with friends and family.

Marshall’s Homecoming theme this year was “Marco Games,” an Olympic theme in line with the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The Homecoming Court, featuring Bethany Jarrell, Dylan Ellison, Skylar Elliott, Kylie Fisher, Rimsha Kingson, Haley Prather, Jaxon Smith and Waylon Smith, was also featured in the Homecoming Parade.

They planned to use the money they raised to help the victims of Hurricane Helene.

The Homecoming Parade was also a pregame celebration for Marshall’s Homecoming Football Game against the Appalachian State University Mountaineers the following morning.

The game featured a more somber tone, with the areas surrounding Appalachian State being hit hard by Hurricane Helene. Before the game, the Marching Thunder played the Appalachian State fight song.Since the opening of the Joan C. Edwards Stadium in 1991, Marshall is 29-5 in homecoming games and 10-1 over its past 11 homecoming games. Marshall’s all-time record in homecoming games is 69-46-8.

Nate Harrah can be contacted at [email protected].