Greensboro's African American Community Newspaper since 1967
North Carolina A&T State University students, alumni, friends, and area residents are in for a treat as the parade for the Greatest Homecoming on Earth (GHOE) takes place Saturday morning, Oct. 11 at 8 am.
The Blue and Gold Marching Machine will be a major highlight of the GHOE Parade, with several popular area high school bands participating in the festivities.
The parade will run east down Lindsay Street toward the A&T campus, and it is expected to attract more than 5,000-plus spectators, as it did last year.
Singer-songwriter Sybil Lynch (Class of 1985, 2018) will help kick things off as the parade’s Grand Marshal. A&T Chancellor, James R. Martin II and his family will also participate in the activities. Colorful floats will be on display featuring Mister and Miss A&T, Miles Norwood and Mariah Couch, the Student Government Association and Council of Presidents, sorority, fraternity and organizational queens. Additional participants will include community dance teams, representatives of campus organizations such as the National Council of Negro Women, Liquid Gold —a plus-size majorette dance team —and Code Blue, a group known for their stop-and-shake dances. Also in attendance will be motorcycle riders, polished cars and trucks, and miniature ones, too. Don’t forget to keep an eye out for the green mini truck from the university’s Animal Science Department transporting the university’s top dog and mascot, Aggie the bulldog.
A&T’s homecoming dates back to 1925, and by 1927, it had evolved into a much larger celebration. The parade has been a homecoming attraction for 91 years, dating back to 1934. Preparations for the parade take roughly ten months to complete, according to the parade operations manager.
“Planning officially kicks off in January,” said organizer Rachel Whitsett, director of operations at the A&T Student Center.
“I’m really excited to see the different organizations and departments that represent our school, as well as see the crowd and community come out to support,” said Yurrianne Vann, senior journalism student from Lexington, N.C. “Oh, and the free candy and our Blue and Gold Marching Machine.”
Some of the local bands are the high school bands that have been participating in the parade for more than 20 years now – James B. Dudley, Grimsley, Page and Smith from Greensboro. Andrews High School in High Point and Carver High School in Winston-Salem.
As far as parade attire goes, it is important to expect fall football weather so layering and blankets are recommended for warmth.
In describing the homecoming atmosphere and the parade, junior mechanical engineering student Amiyr Ahmad from Boston, Massachusetts, said, “It’s like no other and encapsulates the school’s energy.”
For those unable to attend the parade in person, it will now be livestreamed on Instagram and Facebook through the NCA&T parade pages.
Jada Rogers is a senior multimedia journalism student at N.C. A&T from Greenville, South Carolina.
