The University of Wisconsin-Platteville concluded this year’s homecoming with a parade on Oct. 11, starting on Hickory St. outside of Ullsvik Hall and continuing down Main St. towards downtown Platteville. The parade was a mix of Greek Organizations, Residence Halls and other student organizations within the Platteville community.

Prior to the parade starting, Greek Organizations and Residence Halls had to sign in and be judged for their floats on Jay St. right outside of Russell Hall. Campus Programming and Relations hosted the judging and check-in started at 8 a.m. with judging going from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.

This year Sigma Phi Epsilon won the Greek Life category with their float having a camera boom and a reenactment of an old Western shoot out. Bridgeway Commons won the Residence Halls category and WSUP won for student organizations. While the parade consisted of multiple different takes on Hollywood, ranging from Jaws to tractors pulling bales of hay with a Hollywood sign. Some floats even took to the spooky theme, with some students wearing scary masks as they walked with their haunted floats.

Along with the different themes came some challenges that organizations had to overcome throughout the parade.

“Getting the vehicle to run properly was the most difficult part of the parade,” Garret Wermager, senior criminal justice major and member of Sigma Phi Epsilon said. “Sometimes we had to push the car down a slight hill in order to get it started.”

“Our original float idea design ended up not working out,” LeeAnn Bellow, junior biology education major and member of Gamma Phi Beta said. “But as sisters, we ended up coming up with a whole new float idea so we could still have a float in the parade.”

The themes allowed the students to have their own personal take on what they believed best-represented Hollywood. The parade allowed students to come together and work on their floats they wanted to show off for the town of Platteville and the surrounding community.

“Our theme was the Wild, Wild Southwest,” Blake Stewart, junior criminal justice major and Resident Assistant at Southwest Hall said. “We did a stockade with WANTED posters of each staff member of Southwest Hall. I had only four Resident Assistants help me with the float.”

The parade ended where Main St. met with Broadway St., allowing for a mile long procession. Children attended the parade with smiling faces, as some floats threw candy as they drove past. Other organizations handed out free pencils, pens and Frisbees. The parade allowed for a conclusion to the homecoming events as organizations wait for the competition that will follow next year.