CSU President Tony Frank Named Homecoming Parade Grand Marshal

Colorado State University President Tony Frank will serve as this year’s Grand Marshal for the 2009 CSU Homecoming Parade. The theme of this year’s parade is “Celebrating the Past, Building the Future.”

The 90-minute parade will begin at 4:30 p.m. on Oct. 9 at the intersection of Howes Street and Oak Street in downtown Fort Collins. The parade will travel south on Howes, through the CSU Oval, across university plaza and will conclude on campus at Meridian Avenue and University Avenue, at the West Lawn of the Lory Student Center. This year’s Homecoming Parade continues a tradition that began at CSU in 1914.

Parade participation is limited to 100 entries and the initial application deadline is Sept. 25. Details are available online at http://www.homecoming.colostate.edu/parade_registration.aspx or by calling CSU Events at (970) 491 – 4601.

Parade start time was moved up 30 minutes this year to ensure completion of the parade before sunset. The parade starting location was moved to open up three additional east-west traffic corridors (Maple Street, LaPorte Avenue and Mountain Avenue) to ease traffic congestion during the parade.

The Homecoming Parade is the marquee event of CSU’s Homecoming and Family Weekend Oct. 9-11 that welcomes thousands of alumni, parents, friends and community members to Fort Collins to experience a great university and an outstanding a city that continues to rank among the most attractive places to live in the United States.

In addition to the parade, Homecoming and Family Weekend highlights include the Homecoming Festival on the West Lawn of the Lory Student Center at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 9, the Homecoming 5K Race beginning on the Oval at 8 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 10, and the Homecoming football game at Hughes Stadium at 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 10.

Many other activities, including a variety of campus tours and open houses and parent association meetings, are included throughout the weekend. Visit the Web at http://www.homecoming.colostate.edu/ for a complete list of events.
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