Homecoming Parade – Road Closures

The annual Homecoming Parade is Friday, October 2, at 6 p.m. Mike Hopkins, a retired NASA astronaut who made his first spaceflight on the Soyuz TMA-10M to the International Space Station in 2013, will be the grand marshal. Hopkins is a graduate of the U. of I. and co-captained the Fighting Illini football team in 1991.

The parade will step off at the intersection of Kirby Avenue and Fourth Street, heading north before turning west on Gregory Drive and south on First Street. The parade route will be closed to traffic between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. The section of Kirby between First and Fourth will be used as the staging area. It will close at 11 a.m. on Friday and remain closed until after the football game on Saturday.

The parade will be followed by a post-parade party in Lot 31 (across First Street from Grange Grove). There will be music, free sweet treats (while supplies last), and fireworks. Please be aware of the increased vehicle and pedestrian traffic these activities will create, and use caution as you navigate the area Friday afternoon and evening.

Additional Resources

• Parade Map
• Homecoming Schedule
• MTD Website (for updated bus routes and schedules on campus during that period)

For university-related transportation questions, contact Transportation Systems Manager Stacey DeLorenzo, 217-300-1750. Campus street, sidewalk, and pathway closures can be viewed on the F&S website.