2017 HOMECOMING PARADE GUIDELINES

The 2017 Elizabeth City State University Viking Homecoming Parade will be held Saturday, October 14, 2017, at 9:00 a.m. The parade will take place rain or shine. These guidelines have been created to ensure a fun, safe, and entertaining parade for all participants and viewers. Please share this information with all members of your group who will be participating.

PARADE-DAY INSTRUCTIONS

1. The parade staging area will take place at National Guard Armory, 600 Westover Street, Elizabeth City NC (between Sonic and Bojangles).

2. Registration begins at 7:00 a.m. and all participants must be present no later than 7:30 a.m.3. Parking is limited, so please carpool. Vehicles dropping off participants will be directed (by volunteers) to the designated

drop-off area. If you need to park, please park in the mall parking lot.4. All groups participating in the parade will receive a line-up number for easier identification by parade MCs. This number will

be given to your group’s representative at check-in (see below); each group will need to display the number in a prominent location: either on your group’s banner, on the shirt of your group’s leader in the parade, or in the windshield of the group’s leading car.

5. Registration volunteers will be stationed between Sonic and Bojangles on W. Ehringhaus Street (REGISTRATION SIGNS WILL BE POSTED) and will register you from your car, or give you other instructions, when you pull in. The first person to arrive from each group will receive the group’s line-up number and parking instructions.

6. The parade will follow Ehringhaus St. to Road St. to Main St. to Southern Ave. to Parkview Dr. The parade will disperse on the campus of ECSU at the G.R. Little Library. (Refer to the parade route map).

RULES OF PARTICIPATION

1. Parade participants will not leave floats unattended or exit the floats at any time or place, except when the parade is over.2. The parade speed and distance between units will be enforced by parade officials who will be located throughout the route.

Participants must follow parade marshal instructions at all times.3. Participants are asked not to throw or hand out any type of objects from a float/car into the crowd, in order to avoid

potential injury to parade onlookers and/or children. Violators may be excluded from participating in next year’s parade.4. No hand-written signs will be permitted. Signs need to be either professionally printed or fully decorated in a way that best

represents your group and the university. Only well decorated units will be featured in event publicity and photos. Pleasesee the attached pictures of approved parade signage.

5. No alcohol or tobacco products shall be used or advertised by any participant.6. Please note that the parade is a rain or shine event.7. Children under the age of 16 must have an adult supervisor present at all times. 1 adult per 10 children under the age of 18

are required for each group. All other chaperones and guests are asked to please enjoy the parade from the sidewalks.8. All entries must pre-register. Walk-up entries will not be allowed.9. The use of water pistols, firecrackers or any other explosives is strictly prohibited.10. The parade is a family-friendly event; the use of profanity (spoken, on attire, signs or banners or in music) will not be

tolerated. The content of all entries should in no way be unethical, immoral, or offensive. ECSU reserves the right to denyand/or remove any entry that it believes reflects unfavorably upon the image of the university and the parade and/or fallsoutside community standards for good taste.

11. Parade staff reserves the right to prevent participation by any entry deemed unsuitable due to safety hazards.12. All vehicles must be in good running condition and with ample fuel.13. Motorcycle drivers will not perform wheelies or other tricks during the parade; anyone demonstrating unsafe driving will

be asked to pull out of the parade.14. Please be respectful of your fellow parade participants and keep music volume to a minimum during the parade line-up

while groups are trying to communicate with one another and get organized.

www.ecsu/homecoming2017

2017 ECSU HOMECOMING PARADE ROUTE

EXAMPLES OF ACCEPTABLE PARADE SIGNAGE