Floating into the 2021 Homecoming Parade
October 12, 2021
Sirens blare, red and blue lights flash, streets are lined with members of the Mount Vernon community watching as police cars and fire engines open Mount Vernon High School’s homecoming parade. Following behind the fire engines was the Color Guard twirling its flags to the marching band’s fight song.
Co-captain of the Color Guard and sophomore, Sarah Fluharty, has been participating in the Color Guard for the past three years and this was her first ever homecoming parade. She enjoyed it very much. “The best was definitely when a bunch of little kids started screaming, ‘pretty flags’ and their moms were pointing at me,” Fluharty said.
Behind the marching band and Color Guard were the candidates for the 2021 homecoming king and queen, smiling and waving to everyone as they drove by in flashy Corvettes ahead of Mount Vernon alumni.
Sports floats followed behind quickly. Members of the volleyball team jumped around in their vibrant neon attire and colorful cowboy hats. Their float had yellow and pink balloons attached to the sides as well as pink, yellow, and orange streamers.
Sandwiched in between the cheer and the cross country floats were the powderpuff girls that brought the intensity with their bright green powderpuff tees and the yellow streamers on their float.
Sophomore Anna Vavricek was one of the many members seated on the cross country float, which she had a hand in designing.
“Usually we would prepare a lot more but we didn’t prepare much this year,” said Vavricek. The night before, Vavricek got together with senior Kasia Wiebel, Corey Swart, and Kim Fall to make the signs for the cross country float. “It was actually very impressive.”
Vavricek recommends that parade attendees station themselves at the beginning of the route where the majority of the candy is being tossed. The cross country team threw most of their candy at the few people littered at the beginning of the route, and by the time they had reached the more crowded area, they were almost entirely out of candy.
Finally, wrapping up the parade in style were the football players, which were on two connected floats being driven by a red tractor.
