The annual Penn State Homecoming Parade will wind through the streets of Penn State's University Park campus and the Borough of State College this Friday, Oct. 7. The parade, featuring numerous campus and community groups, marching bands and organizational floats, is a centerpiece of the University's week-long Homecoming 2016 festivities.
Parade route
The parade will begin at 6 p.m. Friday. Participants will organize in the fields east of Medlar Field. From there, the parade units will follow the following route:
- Form on Porter Road
- West on Curtin Road, crossing University Drive, where the parade will be joined by units that have formed on the IM fields north of the IM Building
- West on Curtin Road to Bigler Road
- South on Bigler Road to Pollock Road
- West on Pollock Road to Shortlidge Road
- South on Shortlidge Road to College Avenue
- West on College Avenue to Burrowes Road
- North on Burrowes Road
- The parade will disperse at the Burrowes/Pollock Road intersection
Roadway/lot closures
The parade route will be closed to vehicular traffic from 5:30 p.m. through the conclusion of the parade. Parking along the route will be restricted. Motorists must remove parked vehicles on College Avenue prior to the start of the parade.
Porter Road will be closed to all northbound traffic from Hastings Road to Curtin Road from 5:30 p.m. until the parade units clear the roadway. The Curtin Road exit, as well as Porter Road exits #2, #3, and #4 out of Lot 44 will also be closed. The #5 exit from Lot 44 to Porter Road will be used for entry only. No traffic will be allowed to exit onto Porter Road until the parade clears. All traffic exiting Lot 44 will need to travel west on Dauer Road (located south of the Bryce Jordan Center), where vehicles will be allowed to turn north or south on to University Drive.
Due to the formation and movement of parade units, as well as the 7 p.m. men's hockey game at Pegula Ice Arena, the sections of Lot Yellow H at the IM Building, Wagner Building and Shields Building, and Lot Orange B (softball park), will be closed beginning at 3:30 p.m. Vehicles already parked in Orange B may remain, but additional parking will not be available after 3:30 p.m. All vehicles must be removed from the Yellow H IM, Wagner and Shields lots by 5:30 p.m.
Faculty/staff and students who do not wish to remain until the conclusion of the parade, should make plans to remove their vehicles from the following areas before 5:30 p.m. Friday:
- Yellow H (Shields Building)
- Yellow H (IM Building)
- Yellow H (Wagner Building)
- Orange J (McCoy Natatorium)
- Lot 42 (north of Building 14)
- Lot 81 (at Ritner/Wolf Halls and Pollock Building) - must exit to Mifflin Road then travel south to McKean Road
- HUB Parking Deck (Yellow C)
- Yellow J (Atherton Hall)
- Yellow N (College Avenue in front of Health & Human Development)
- Lot Brown A (Reber & Deike buildings)
Please note that Pollock Road will remain open to Burrowes Road for vehicles exiting Lot Brown A Willard, Brown E Fraser Road, and Old Main.
University Police will be stationed along the parade route beginning at 5 p.m. to help facilitate rush-hour traffic flow and begin closing the route.
Parade parking
Parking for those who wish to view the parade will be available from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the following locations:
- Lot Red A (west of North Atherton Street)
- Nittany Parking Deck (next to the Nittany Lion Inn)
- East Parking Deck (located near the corner of Bigler and Curtin Roads)
- Eisenhower Deck (next to Eisenhower Auditorium)
- HUB Deck
Vehicles entering prior to 4 p.m. or remaining past 9 p.m. in the East, HUB, or Nittany decks will be charged $1 per hour for parking (no charge after 4 p.m. with a valid Penn State parking permit).
Vehicles without a valid University Park faculty/staff permit wishing to park overnight must purchase a $30 weekend parking permit. These permits are available at the entrance to all four campus parking decks (East, Eisenhower, HUB, Nittany) and Lot Red A at White Course Drive.
Please note that parade parking is not permitted in any parking lot designated for resident student parking (Brown 11 White Course Apts., Lot 22 Eastview, Lot 42 Nittany Apts., Lot 81 South/Pollock Halls, Lot 82 East Halls, or Lot 43 or Lot 83 on Hastings Road).
Men's hockey and BJC concert traffic and parking advisories
With men’s hockey hosting a game at Pegula Ice Arena at 7 p.m. and Rascal Flatts set to perform at the Bryce Jordan Center at 8:30 p.m., event parking sales will be in place Friday evening at Lot 44, Stadium West and Porter North. Payment of the event parking fee will be required for any vehicles not displaying a valid Penn State parking permit.
Due to parade route traffic restrictions, fans attending the men’s hockey game are urged to park at Stadium West, where both general and ADA parking will be available. Premium parking at the sections of Lot Yellow H near Shields Building and Wagner Building will remain available until 6:15 p.m. Friday, though permit holders are urged to arrive before 6 p.m. Access to these lots will be available only by traveling north on University Drive and west on Curtin Road. Shields and Wagner premium permit holders who arrive after 6:15 p.m. will be redirected to Stadium West. Access to premium parking at Lot Orange F will remain available throughout the evening, but due to parade route restrictions, all vehicles attempting to reach this lot after 6 p.m. Friday must do so by traveling north on University Drive, west on Hastings Road and northeast on McKean Road.
Doors will open at the Bryce Jordan Center for Rascal Flatts at 7:30 p.m., and normal access to Lot 44, Stadium West and Porter North should be available between 7:30 p.m. and the show’s 8:30 p.m. start time.
All vehicles must be removed from event parking lots before midnight Friday night in advance of Saturday's home football game.
Adjustments to campus transit
The following transit route adjustments will be in effect from approximately 5:30 p.m. until 9 p.m. Friday:
BLUE LOOP - There will be no BLUE LOOP service during the parade. All buses that usually provide BLUE LOOP service at this time will be redirected to operate as additional WHITE LOOP or RED LINK service.
WHITE LOOP - The WHITE LOOP will follow the following routing for the duration of the parade:
From Beaver Avenue at Schlow Library, the bus will follow normal routing to University Drive. The bus will then travel University Drive to Park Avenue, turn left on Park Avenue, left on Shortlidge Road, and right on Curtin Road. The bus will travel Curtin Road to Curtin Road Extension, turn right on Curtin Road Extension, left on Atherton Street, and left on Beaver Avenue, where it will travel back to Schlow Library. There will be no service to the bus stops on Curtin Road between University Drive and Shortlidge Road, or to Burrowes Road.
RED LINK - The RED LINK will follow the following routing for the duration of the parade:
From West Campus, the bus will follow normal routing to the Pavilion Theater traveling on Curtin Road to Shortlidge Road, turn left on Shortlidge Road to Park Avenue, and then stay on Park Avenue to Innovation Park. From Innovation Park, the bus will follow normal routing to Park Avenue, where the bus will travel to Shortlidge Road, turn left on Shortlidge Road, and right on Curtin Road, where the bus will resume normal routing to West Campus. Temporary stops will be placed along Park Avenue to accommodate those needing to access parking lots Stadium West, Lot 44, and the Centre County/Penn State Visitor Center.
There will be no service to the bus stops on Curtin Road between Shortlidge Road and Porter Road, and no service to the stops on Porter Road near Medlar Field, or near the Centre County Visitor Center.
GREEN LINK - From 5:30 p.m. until 6:30 p.m., the GREEN LINK will follow the Red Link detour routing.
Campus and Paratransit shuttles - Service will stop at 5 p.m. due to parade-related road closures.
Penn State University Police will be directing traffic at various intersections on campus, but please be advised that there will be delays and everyone’s patience and cooperation is greatly appreciated.
Map and contact information
Click on the 2016 Homecoming Parade Google Map below to view a map of areas impacted by the 2016 Homecoming Parade.
Any parking-related questions should be directed to the Parking Office by phone at 814-865-1436. For traffic-related questions, please contact University Police at 814-863-1111. Questions related to CATA service should be directed to the CATA Office at 814-238-2282.