As alumni gravitate back to their alma mater this weekend and undergraduates preoccupy themselves over the best tailgate food and beverages, Cornell’s annual homecoming weekend will see the addition of another Big Red tradition. For the first time in a number of years, the University will host a homecoming parade.

Sponsored and funded by the Office of Alumni Affairs, the parade marks the return of a tradition last observed in the ’90s. Student organizations, from the Men’s and Women’s Lacrosse Teams to the Cayuga’s Waiters a cappella group to the Student Assembly will march across campus in honor of the football team’s match against Fordham University.

“We want to get more students excited about the Homecoming tradition,” said Corey Earle ’08, associate director of student programs in the Office of Alumni Affairs and contributor to The Sun. “The parade is a great opportunity to showcase some neat student organizations to alumni and visitors, but it also gets more students involved in the weekend’s events.”

The parade will begin Saturday at 10:30 a.m. behind Teagle Hall on the Bio Quad, wind its way through the alumni tailgate, Greek tailgate and Kite Hill tailgate and end up at the Friedman Wrestling Center. Over 29 student groups will showcase their organizations during the parade, led by Ezra Cornell IV ’70, a Cornell trustee and great grandson of the University’s namesake.

According to Earle, an avid alumnus of Cornell history, parades used to be common on the Friday night before Cornell homecoming as part of a big pre-game pep rally. During the 1950s, parades occurred at Cornell with a degree of regularity. The tradition was also revived for a bit in the mid ’90s, but has since dissipated. This year’s parade marks the first of what organizers hope will be an annual tradition for years to come.

Homecoming itself dates back to 1920, when Cornell initiated its “New York State Cornell Day” as a way to bring back in-state alumni to kick off its Cornell Endowment Fund campaign, according to Earle. About 2,000 alumni took in a football game in which Cornell trounced Columbia 34-7. In the following year, Cornell beat Colgate 31-7 and won against Columbia 56-0 the year after. Homecoming has changed very little since then.

The parade joins a slew of other homecoming events for returning alumni. Student groups, Greek organizations, University offices and alumni class groups will host a variety of receptions for returning Cornellians throughout the weekend.

But for many alumni, homecoming is foremost a chance to take in the familiar sights of Cornell and see old classmates from the Hill. “It’s a great opportunity to see some friends I haven’t seen since graduation or even longer,” said Mike Maslowsky ’09, who is returning to Cornell this weekend.