Troy celebrates homecoming with annual parade (PHOTO GALLERY)

Published 12:54 pm Saturday, October 11, 2014

Delta Chi fraternity member hands flowers to Janice Hawkins, first lady for Troy University, during Saturday's homecoming parade.  MESSENGER PHOTO/SCOTTIE BROWN

Delta Chi fraternity member hands flowers to Janice Hawkins, first lady for Troy University, during Saturday’s homecoming parade.
MESSENGER PHOTO/SCOTTIE BROWN

 

Although the route for this year’s homecoming parade changed, hundreds still lined the streets around the Square Saturday morning in downtown Troy to celebrate homecoming and watch the numerous entries in the parade.

From vintage cars to beauty queens, a World War II jeep to local high school bands and floats that took hard work and dedication, this year’s parade boasted almost 90 entries.

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The theme for this year’s homecoming was “We Are One: Getting Back to Our Roots,” and Phi Mu president Erin O’Quinn said the sorority had taken a different perspective to the theme this year.

“Since the theme was getting back to our roots, we figured what better way than a yearbook to flashback through the different times Troy has gone through,” O’Quinn said. “With Troy Normal School, our sorority being the first founded at Troy, we thought this was the best way to tie in Troy and the Palladium and a flashback.”

The floats ranged in sizes for the parade, and O’Quinn said the sorority had put in countless hours making their float.

“It was a lot of hours,” O’Quinn said. “We have 159 girls that have been working on it for weeks. It’s been a lot of work, but it’s definitely paid off. We know going into it, it’s going to be like that so it’s a lot of fun and a lot of time to hangout with our sisters.”

Leigh Grissom, a local Pike County resident, came to the parade with her husband and two children, Emma Kate and Wyatt. Grissom said her and her family had come to the parade just about every year.

“We come just to support the community, and so they can enjoy a parade,” Grissom said. “We’ve almost come every year.”

Emma Kate, Grissom’s 2-year-old daughter, said she enjoyed the fire trucks the best while her 4-year-old brother Wyatt said he enjoyed the police cars.