The State College Area High School homecoming parade route will not go through downtown this year, due to safety concerns. The State College Area School District says the parade, which is on Sept. 28, will instead take place in the Holmes-Foster Neighborhood, starting and ending at the high school.
Chris Rosenblum, the director of communications at SCASD, said State College police and the borough expressed concern about being able to safeguard students crossing several intersections, especially Atherton Street, on the way downtown and to Memorial Field.
"Another safety concern was students having to walk back from Memorial after the parade to the high school lots for their cars or rides in the dark, a potentially dangerous situation. By circling back to the high school, the parade will eliminate that hazard, as well as the congestion that resulted from the route ending along Nittany Avenue by Memorial," Rosenblum said.
He said it's also easier to cordon off the Holmes-Foster route because those streets see less traffic.
"Additionally, now the parade will take place before SCASD family homes rather than mostly student rentals along Westerly and Allen, making it more of a district celebration," Rosenblum said.
Rosenblum said there will still be a stadium pep rally, but it will be in the South Track complex.
The parade is expected to last from 5:45-7 p.m.
