9 a.m
As the bells of Century Tower rang in the hour, people trickled into the Plaza of the Americas. Bounce houses and food trucks were dotted around the plaza, growing more and more populated as the minutes passed.
People played lawn games and tossed around footballs as energetic music blasted from speakers near a central orange and blue balloon arch.
Students, staff, alumni and locals prepared for a day-long celebration in honor of UF’s 100th annual homecoming. The festivities included a festival tabled with student organizations and activities, the annual Gator Gallop run and the ever-popular homecoming parade.
More than 20 student clubs and local businesses tabled at the event, offering memorabilia like free shirts, buttons and tote bags for those who passed by. Among the student organizations present were the Student Animal Alliance, Dance Marathon and the Indonesian Students Association.
In some cases, clubs offered activities rather than memorabilia. The UF Chemistry Club had a station where participants could make their own slime, while the Student Government Class Council offered a bracelet-making activity.
The festival brought many organizations the chance to encourage others to get involved in their causes.
For the UF Association of LGBTQ+ Alumni, tabling events help promote the organization itself and the idea that a community exists for minority students and alumni.
Hannah Fletcher, a 19-year-old UF media production, management and technology undergraduate student, serves as the organization’s director of social media. The association provides scholarship and mentorship opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate students in addition to social and educational events it hosts, she said.
“[Tabling events like the festival] make sure everyone knows that they have a safe place here on campus, no matter what, especially for alumni,” Fletcher said. “It’s really important and I think it’s a great way to connect all of the generations together through all of the hardships we’ve had through being LGBTQ+.”
10:30 a.m.
Since the beginning of the festival, a line of runners eager to sign up for the annual Gator Gallop stretched the full length of the plaza.
Over 750 people gathered under an inflatable arch with numbers taped to their shirts, excited to begin the run, a two-mile race that loops around campus and ends back at the plaza.
Many of the participants brought their dogs decked out in orange and blue — some of which received their own race numbers — and some ran the race with infants in strollers.
Medals were given to all participants of the race upon their finish, while first, second and third place winners also received special gift bags.
The first place runner finished around the 13-minute mark with the second place runner hot on his tail and third place coming in a minute later.
A majority of the participants finished the race at just under 20 minutes, celebrating with high fives, applause and gator chomps. Cheers of “good boy” were given to dogs as they finished.
11:30 a.m.
Sixty parade floats packed into the Norman Hall parking lot in anticipation of the 100th Homecoming Parade. On and off-campus organizations themed and decorated their floats in celebration of the centennial event.
The UF Surf & Skate Club built their float using wood from Home Depot. The float sported a lifeguard tower and a fully functional slide leading into a knee-high pool. Club members studying engineering and construction management led efforts to build the float.
Several members were securing wood planks to the float with power drills only 15 minutes before the parade started.
“It took a lot of work,” said club member Taylor Adams. “We’re kind of still adding on to it.”
Another float organized by 13 LGBTQ+ and non-LGBTQ+ organization adorned pride flags and a sign that read: “We are everyone.”
Susan Bottcher, a member of the advocacy group Equality Florida, said the goal of the float was to inspire LGBTQ+ pride amongst Gainesville residents.
“We just want the community to know whether you are gay or straight, that there's a place for you here,” Botcher said.
The Gainesville Dazzling Black Hat Divas, a nearly 40-year-old sister sorority, sparkled in the center of the lot. About 20 sorority sisters gathered in a canopied float, dawning all-black outfits with silver jewelry, pom-poms and bedazzled hats.
Janie Cody, a longtime Black Hat Diva, said “Silver is [their] bling.”
“We do community service, we party, we travel, we shop, we church. we accept invitations,” she said.
Noon
Hundreds of people crowded sidewalks and streets watching and cheering for the parade floats as they passed by — some handing out candy to children attendees. Local politicians, UF administration, student organizations and other clubs came in full force through the route, with performances and music abound.
Students from every high school band as well as UF’s played as they marched across University Avenue all the way through downtown Gainesville.
Hector De Valle, a 38-year-old Gainesville resident, originally performed in the parade as a Gainesville High School band member, and has attended ever since as a tradition.
"I think the parade has stayed the same, but I have evolved," he said.
De Valle was happy to share the experience with his husband and their 13-month-old Oliver, who Hector De Valle said had fun at the parade.
"Now we come with our son and he enjoys it," Hector De Valle said. "[Oliver] He's running around, he wants to talk to everyone."
Teachers also came out to support their students.
Luann Blaskowski is a 63-year-old UF alumna and an art teacher at Eastside High School. She loves making a point of going, both to see her students and to take pride in the diverse community of university attendees and alumni.
“It’s great being surrounded by all the orange and blue,” she said. “It’s the best feeling and it’s a really nice mix of people, I like that.”
Aidan Bush contributed to this report.
Contact Bailey Diem and Garrett Shanley at bdiem@alligator.org and gshanley@alligator.org. Follow them on Twitter @BaileyDiem and @Garrettshanley.
Bailey Diem is the Fall 2024 Metro Editor at The Alligator. She spent previous semesters reporting for The Alligator's University and Metro desks. In her free time, Bailey enjoys playing guitar or getting lost in a book.
Garrett Shanley is a fourth-year journalism major and the Summer 2024 university editor for The Alligator. Outside of the newsroom, you can find him watching Wong Kar-Wai movies and talking to his house plants.
