The University of Colorado at Boulder's 2008 Homecoming festivities kick off Friday, Oct. 3, at 5:15 p.m. with a parade through Boulder's University Hill neighborhood. Olympian Jenny Barringer will be Grand Marshal along with many current and former CU and Boulder County Olympians.
Other invited parade royalty will include Honored Faculty Professors Aissa Abderrahman, Patti Adler, Joe Berta and Ty Tashiro.
Student groups and local businesses are encouraged to participate with a float or by marching in the parade. Those interested in the parade or in the Ultimate Fan competition on Oct. 1 can register online at .
The parade will be followed by a pep rally on the Hill at 5:45 p.m. and a free outdoor concert and festival on Farrand Field at 7 p.m.
The annual event celebrates a return to campus for CU-Boulder alumni, most of whom will attend CU's gridiron matchup with the Texas Longhorns on Saturday, Oct. 4. Game time is still to be determined and tickets are still available.
"Go for the Gold" is the theme for 2008, according to Nicole Colich, chairperson for the 2008 Homecoming committee.
"CU has always been well represented in the Olympics and this year was no exception," Colich said. "CU and the Boulder community have always been very involved in athletics at the highest level. We've identified more than 120 Olympians from CU and Boulder County and we've invited all we could locate."
Floats will be judged on how well they relate to the theme, the overall design and the excitement level of participants. There will be three prizes given in each of three categories: traditional Greek chapters, residence halls and student groups. Prizes are $600 for first place, $400 for second place and $200 for third place.
Identification of the student, Greek or community group should be clearly visible for judging. Music, costumes and chants related to the theme are highly encouraged. Ideally, the float should be dedicated to the Homecoming theme.
Gold medal-level sponsors for the 2008 Homecoming events include the city of Boulder, Downtown and University Hill Management Division and Parking Services, The Daily Camera and Tebo Development. CU sponsors include the Student Union, Arts and Sciences Student Government and Program Council.
Silver medal-level sponsors include CU's Office of Student Affairs, the CU Athletics Department and the Office of the Chancellor.
Bronze medal-level sponsors include James Travel, PEH Architects, Pasta Jay's, Hotel Boulderado, the Boulder Outlook Hotel, the Hill Alliance and the CU Book Store.
For more information about parade routes, registration, rules, regulations, reimbursements and float-building tips, interested groups should go to the Homecoming Web site at .