Ready for a homecoming parade?

The tradition of hosting a homecoming parade for Coal City High School will continue this year with a march along Broadway Street.

The third annual homecoming parade, Coalers in Paradise, will be held Friday, Oct. 6 stepping off from the intersection of South Broadway and Spring Road at 2:30 p.m. The parade will head north on Broadway to Carbon Street and conclude at the Berst Center on Kankakee Street.

The Marching Coaler Bands from the high school and middle school will participate as will various high school clubs, organizations and athletic teams.

The student council invites community businesses and churches to enter a unit in the parade. There will be a $100 fee assessed to those entries. No political parties or candidates for election will be allowed.

One change this year is that for safety reasons, no person under high school age will be allowed to participate in the parade with the exception of middle school band members.

All parade entries are to follow the homecoming theme of Hawaiian/paradise and be school appropriate. Those deemed in appropriate are subject to elimination from the lineup by school administration.

Candy and other items can not be thrown from vehicles, but can be passed out by walkers, and drivers must drive responsibly and cautiously.

Once on a float or in a vehicle there is no getting off once the parade has started. If riding in a pickup truck the tailgate must be closed for the safety of riders, and legs and feet can not dangle from a unit and standing is not recommended.

Participants are expected to clean up any mess or garbage left behind on school property or elsewhere.

The parade will be staged in the high school tennis court parking lot at the corner of Division Street and Carbon Hill Road. Vehicles and floats can be brought to the high school as early as 7 a.m. on parade day. Club sponsors are open to arranging an early drop-off as long as plans are made ahead of time.

All entries must be at the high school and ready to go no later than 2 p.m., as all units will proceed to the start of the parade route departing the high school at 2:15 p.m.

High school clubs, organizations and teams participating are required to secure their own vehicles and drivers.

A parade entry form will be posted on the school district website.

Businesses can forward their participation fee to Coal City High School Student Council, Allison Peterson, co-sponsor, 655 W. Division St., Coal City, IL 60416. Checks should be made payable to Coal City High School.

Direct questions to apeterson@coalcityschools.org.

The community is encouraged to celebrate homecoming by participating and attending the parade.