Annual Parade Will Be Held Oct. 4

It is a cherished tradition in the Millersville University community as well as for borough residents.

The Millersville Parade will he held rain or shine Saturday, Oct. 4, at 8:30 a.m. The event will follow the usual 2-mile route, starting at Penn Manor High School to Landis Avenue to George Street and ending at the Student Memorial Center on James Street. For more information, go to http://www.millersville.edu/parade/.

The parade is a joint effort between the university and Millersville Borough. "The neighbor aspect of Penn Manor in Millersville continues with starting at the high school and ending at the university," said Lydia Yeager, Millersville University's director of events. "We value that relationship. We can't do the parade without the support of the high school, the school district and the borough. It's volunteer run, a very collaborative effort. That's how we do our events on the campus side of things. It was just a natural fit to work with a team of people who have their areas that they manage to make all of this go off. It's never one person of these kinds of things. It's always a team."

The parade will include floats; animals; baton twirlers; antique cars; the Millersville University Marauder Marching Band; bands from Penn Manor, Central York, Conestoga Valley, and Dallastown high schools; youth groups; and civic organizations.

"I think the bands are the main thing that everyone is looking for," said Yeager. "As someone who was in a marching band in high school and did a lot of these, I can say, they are some highlights. We have a lot of different bands; a lot of local high schools participate. We have the Ceol Neamh Pipe Band, which I believe is the only remaining pipe band. We will have the the steam calliope that always ends the musical elements, which, you know, of course, is our theme this year; "Magic of Music" is our theme this year. I think music is a universal language with our community, and we're just embracing that this year."

Lancaster Library's Bookmobile, the Lancaster County Young Marines, the Junior Tornado cheer, a "Star Wars" group, Lancaster Liederkranz, several university student organizations and club sports teams, and civic engagement groups and local government will also participate.

The university's TV station will broadcast the parade with students anchoring from the studio and reporters in the field. "It's a great live in-person experience for our students in the broadcasting field to be able to produce something like this," said Yeager.

Following the parade, there will be a series of events celebrating Millersville University's Homecoming, including Maker's Market and Skully Shoppes and a showcase of student entrepreneurs, residence hall tours, trolley tours of campus, the 'Ville Block Party, the Food Truck Experience, an Alumni Tent, and giveaways. The Marauders football team will play Shepherd University at 2 p.m.

The block party will be held on East Frederick Street, and the Maker's Market will be in the Student Memorial Center. Both will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

"We are inviting local nonprofits to participate and be part of the block party, share the mission of their organizations to our alumni and community who are walking around," said Yeager. "I think that's a great element for us to add and certainly ties in with our public mission and our core campus values. It's a great add to an already cool event. Our Maker's Market is back for its second year. We will have a great turnout with student venders, alumni vendors, and community vendors who will be participating."

Millersville's Class of 1965 will hold its 60th reunion on Friday, Oct. 3, and the Class of 1975 will hold its 50th reunion on Saturday, Oct. 4.

For a complete list of Millersville Homecoming events, visit https://www.millersville.edu/alumni/events/homecoming.

It will be the 28th Millersville Parade in its current form. It was reestablished in 1997, and it's been held every year except for 2020 because of COVID.

"It's a general generational tradition," said Yeager. "I hear a lot of people say they used to attend as a kid, then they brought their kids, and now they bring their grandkids. And I think from a community standpoint, it's what we connected with as far as our public mission to keep the tradition going as a legacy, with all the spectators who have embraced the event for 28 years now. I know our student organizations - our athletic teams and our fraternity and sorority organizations - really have embraced it."