University of Alabama sets schedule for homecoming parade, bonfire

The University of Alabama next week will kick off its 2022 homecoming celebration, which will include a parade through downtown Tuscaloosa, a pep rally and bonfire on the Quad, and, of course, a football game at Bryant-Denny Stadium.

This year’s homecoming theme is “Legends Live Forever.” The homecoming queen and court will be recognized at halftime of the Alabama-Mississippi State game, which will kick off at 6 p.m. on Oct. 22 with ESPN televising.

UA fans are invited to the homecoming pep rally beginning at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 21 on the Quad, followed by a bonfire. In years past, the pep rally has included the crowning of the homecoming queen along with performances by the Million Dollar Band and UA cheerleaders and appearances by UA's elephant mascot Big Al and guest speakers.

The homecoming parade will begin at noon on Oct. 22 on Greensboro Avenue in downtown Tuscaloosa and then move onto University Boulevard heading toward campus. Fans are invited to line the streets and watch the parade, which will feature floats, UA's fraternities, sororities, and other student groups along with the Million Dollar Band, UA cheerleaders, and Big Al.

This year's homecoming parade grand marshal will be Lillie Leatherwood, an NCAA champion and two-time Olympian as a student-athlete in track and field at UA. She became the first female gold medalist from UA during the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. After her athletic career, Leatherwood spent more than two decades with the Tuscaloosa Police Department's Police Athletic League, a juvenile crime prevention program that pairs at-risk children with officers.

Homecoming festivities are scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. this Sunday with the Roll Tide Run, a 5K run or walk event. During the week, student organizations will compete to see who has the most school spirit through such contests as  Paint the Town Red, which involves decorating the windows of Tuscaloosa area businesses, and a variety of competitions that include such categories as lawn decorations, bowling, choreography, trivia, dodge ball, and flag football.

Other signature homecoming week events include a day of service on Oct. 19 and the National Panhellenic Council step show at 8:30 p.m. on Oct. 21 at Coleman Coliseum.

In addition to the football game, other athletic events during homecoming week include UA soccer vs. Arkansas at 11 a.m. Sunday, UA volleyball vs. LSU at 8 p.m. Oct. 19 at Foster Auditorium, and UA baseball vs. Mississippi State in an exhibition game at 6 p.m. Oct. 21 at Sewell-Thomas Stadium.

More information is available at www.homecoming.sa.ua.edu.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: University of Alabama holds parade, bonfire to celebrate homecoming