As October 19 drew near and Hoco Week came to a close, festivities were still in full swing with Dublin High’s Homecoming Parade. The highly anticipated annual parade featured colorful floats, powerful music, vintage cars, and elementary school mascots, garnering the attention of many in the community who gathered on the sidewalks to watch.

The vanguard of the parade was a flank of police motorcycles and a firetruck, heralding the arrival of Dublin’s Mayor. Following that was a fleet of vintage cars along with Dublin High’s Varsity and Junior Varsity Cheer teams. 

At around 3:30 on a sunny Friday afternoon, Dublin High’s Irish Guard departed for their performance at 4, led by their color guard. Files of wind and percussion groups in soaring red, white, and navy colors played “Sir Duke” as the crowd enthusiastically cheered them on.

Behind the high school band was its younger middle school counterparts: Wells, Cottonwood Creek, and Fallon Middle School. Conducted by their respective drum majors, the schools performed their many tunes flawlessly, earning praise from the crowd. Wells was escorted by their own cheer team. 

“This year, the Wells cheer team was more represented than last year, so that was fun to see,” shared Radhika Iyer, a freshman in DHS leadership.

Members from Emerald High also attended the Homecoming parade. Following them and their respective bands were the elementary schools. Each one brought their mascot along with them, which were fan favorites among the crowd. For John Green Elementary, the mascot was a crocodile. For Kolb, an inflatable bald eagle. 

At last, the most awaited attraction: the floats. Each grade level had their own float relating to their respective Homecoming theme. For the freshmen, this was the Greek island from Mamma Mia. Their float was decked out in Grecian style pillars and disco elements on a backdrop of blue and white. 

Next up, Juniors in Wasteland: the class of ‘26 created a post-apocalyptic setting, adorning their float with zombies, caution tape, and muted tones. And as for the seniors, Neverland. Their float depicted a painted sunset starring a mermaid, a shipwreck, and an impressively large recreation of Big Ben. 

The sophomore float was the winning float of Hoco Week, as announced later during the football game. With the infamous grin of the Cheshire Cat on its mantelpiece, it was no wonder that the Wonderland-themed float took the prize.

Ultimately, the engagement of city residents with the parade reflects its enduring place in not only Dublin High’s culture but in the city itself. However, due to the recent opening of Emerald High School, Dublin High’s involvement noticeably declined this year as a result of a decreased student population.

“Last year I marched in the parade with leadership [and] then watched as everyone passed. I feel like last year had a higher attendance rate, at least for walking behind the floats,” Radhika further shared.

Despite this lower involvement, though, Radhika finds that it didn’t detract from the experience. 

“It was really fun to be a part of the parade as a freshman this year.” 

Anala Alcantara, a Dublin High junior, shared a similar sentiment. 

“I loved how we got to see so many people come out to see us. I feel like because of how our school’s population decreased, there was a decrease in people that were there, that were involved in the parade itself, [but] we expected [this] and I honestly don’t feel too bad about it.” 

Despite changes on Dublin High’s campus, the Homecoming Parade still cultivates a sense of unity and Dublin pride as people are brought together to witness the celebration, appreciate the hard work put into the parade, and, most importantly, have fun!