Starting at Prairie Ridge Elementary and traveling through Grey Oaks, students rode or walked beside floats showcasing various clubs and activities on Wednesday, Oct. 1.
The parade is a homecoming tradition at the school, ensuring that it showcases the king and queen candidates while participants hand out candy to bystanders.
Freshman Lydia O’Donnell, who was a part of the Relay for Life float, shares why she thinks the parade is important.
“The parade is important to me because it’s super fun to be a part of,” O’Donnell said. “I got to decorate the float with my friends and hand out candy. But also, everyone gets involved, and it is a good way to engage with other people.”
The parade also makes sure to showcase out of season sports like softball, junior Liv Peery explains why she enjoys the inclusivity.
“A lot of sports are only involved or talked about when they’re actively playing,” Peery said. “So being able to get with my team and decorate a float even though it’s not my season was nice, and it really brought us together.”
Homecoming candidates got their own time to shine during the parade. Senior Callaway Clifton shares her experience as a queen candidate.
“We got to have our own cars, dress up nice and we also got to be first in the lineup,” Clifton said. “I think it was so fun and was a good way to interact with all the other candidates. It was also nice to see some of the clubs represented, and I loved getting to meet the kids that showed up to watch.”
The parade has been a homecoming event for many years now, O’Donnell explains why she thinks the parade is a good tradition at the school.
“The parade is such a good way to bring everyone together, and it shows how strong the community is around Mill Valley,” O’Donnell said. “I think it does a good job connecting all the kids around here to all of us at high school, and it’s a lot of fun.”
