Thousands of people packed Gainesville streets and the UF campus this weekend to celebrate the 87th UF Homecoming.
Despite the Gators’ recent losses on the football field, fans, students and alumni were still filled with spirit as they cheered and participated in the traditional Homecoming events.
More than 1,500 people registered to run, skate and bike in the Gator Gallop race preceding Friday’s Homecoming Parade.
Crispyn Coller, director of Gator Gallop, said the race is meant to unite the Gainesville community.
“This is kind of saying a thank you to the community for their support,” he said. “It’s amazing—the excitement of everyone coming back. It’s a fun atmosphere.”
Racers paid $10 to register online and $15 the day of the race. The registration fee paid for T-shirts and also went to benefit the Florida Track Club.
UF alumna Christy Brigman skated her way to the finishline with her husband. They both graduated in 1999.
“It’s fun to come back to Gainesville,” she said. “I love it every time we come back.”
The race track stretched from the Percy Beard Track at Pressly Stadium to Southwest 13th Street.
Meanwhile, lining up along University Avenue, the earliest arriving fans and spectators in lawn chairs bundled in their blankets and sipped on hot coffee to stay warm before the 87th annual Homecoming Parade.
There were 150 floats this year, according to parade director Shane Yarchin.
He said there were about 100,000 people watching along the parade route, which stretched from Gale Lemerand Drive to Main Street.
The parade kicked off at noon with the Alachua County Sheriff, UPD and Gainesville Police Department officers showing off their motorcycle skills.
The UF Marching Band played, as well as marching bands from local high schools.
Many local businesses and community groups also participated in the parade.
Most floats featured the colors orange and blue, and spectators saw more than one stuffed gator.
“The parade showed me something more about UF,” freshman Sally Cohen said. “It showed me that The Gator Nation isn’t just about the students or the sports, it transcends into the entire town. Everybody is a Gator and everyone loves it.”
Fans and alumni also came together for the 87th Gator Growl pep rally, which is billed as the largest student-run pep rally in the country.
Instead of featuring one comedian and a band like in the previous three years, the event featured three comedians: Aziz Ansari, Kevin Hart and Dan Levy.
The comedians easily drew the best crowd response out of any of the other entertainment, said Megan McGonigle, a 17-year-old who watched from the student section.
The show was also filled with the customary Gator Growl skits and commercials.
Gator athletics figured prominently into the fanfare, including appearances by the men and women’s basketball teams and the Florida football senior class.
Cameos from various celebrities and former Gator athletics stars were played between the acts.
David DeVinney, director of public relations for Gator Growl, estimated about 35,000 people attended the event.
“All the directors were really pleased with the show,” DeVinney said. “It went great. It was very entertaining, we all thought.”
