KSU homecoming celebrations begin Friday

Kent State University Homecoming 2021 Parade. KSU Marching Band.
Kent State University Homecoming 2021 Parade. KSU Marching Band.

Kent State University will begin celebrating homecoming Friday. The occasion will culminate Saturday with the homecoming parade and football game. All day Saturday, the university has a full slate of activities for people to enjoy.

The university has invited alumni, students, parents, faculty, staff and community members to participate in the revelry. A full schedule of events can be found online.

This year's theme is “Milestones and Memories," which has been incorporated into the parade.

More:New Kent State quarterback Collin Schlee a highlight waiting to happen

More:Postgame chatter following Kent State's surprisingly close loss to No. 1 Georgia

Because this is the 50th anniversary of Title IX — the portion of the Education Amendments of 1972 protecting people from sex-based discrimination in education or athletics that receive federal money — 37 former female student-athletes, representing each of the women’s sports teams, will serve as grand marshals of the homecoming parade.

At 7:30 p.m. Friday, festivities will commence downtown with the Homecoming Kickoff at Hometown Bank Plaza at 142 N Water St., featuring live music and food vendors. A fireworks show will begin at 8:15 p.m.

Attendees can also meet the 2022 homecoming court, Kent State Director of Athletics Randale L. Richmond and Kent State President Todd Diacon.

Homecoming Day

Bright and early at 8 a.m. Saturday, runners will line up at the university’s Warren Student Recreation and Wellness Center at 1550 Ted Boyd Drive for the Bowman Cup 5K Race and 1-Mile Fun Run, named for George Bowman, the fedora-adorned former president of the university. The route will take runners through the campus and the surrounding community. Registration information can be found online.

The parade will depart from Midway Drive at Main Street at 10:30 a.m. A livestream of the parade will be made available online at 10:15 a.m. for those unable to attend.

The parade will feature floats, marching bands, KSU cheerleaders and athletes, student organizations, local officials, the homecoming court and more.

At noon, Kent State couples can begin gathering for "Kiss on the K," a homecoming tradition for couples to celebrate the place where they met. Couples will kiss on the "K" when the bell rings at 12:30 p.m.

At 12:45 p.m., the university will hold a ceremony dedicating the E. Timothy Moore Student Multicultural Center. Moore, a three-time Kent State alumnus, served as president and minister of art for Black United Students. He also served as associate professor of Pan-African Studies, and associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

Fans of the Golden Flashes are invited to attend the Flash Nation Tailgate at 1 p.m. outside Dix Stadium in the west parking lot.

Kent State University Homecoming 2021 Parade. KSU president Todd Diacon.
Kent State University Homecoming 2021 Parade. KSU president Todd Diacon.

The first 1,000 fans to visit will receive a Kent State stadium bag.

At 3:30, Kent State will go head-to-head against Ohio University, an East Division foe in the Mid-American Conference. It will be KSU's first conference game of the season. Tickets are available online.

During halftime, the homecoming court will be recognized and 2022 homecoming royalty will be crowned.

Reach out to reporter Derek Kreider at DKreider@Gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Kent State University's Homecoming celebration begins Friday