Red and black parade floats will travel the streets of downtown tonight as the University celebrates Homecoming 2004.

The parade, the final Homecoming event before Saturday’s game, will commence at 6:30 p.m.

Vince Dooley will preside as grand marshall of the celebration.

“The grand marshall is the showcase and leader of the parade,” said Laura Staub, graduate advisor of the Homecoming division of University Union.

“We wanted to recognize all the wonderful things he (Dooley) did for the University by honoring him at this year’s parade,” she said.

Players from the football, basketball and men’s and women’s cross country teams will ride in the parade along with Uga VI, University President Michael Adams, the Red Hotz, the Gym Dogs, the Red Coat Band and the University ROTC.

The Homecoming Court will appear toward the middle of the procession, and several student organizations will be featured at the end.

Staub said the procession will line up along Dougherty Street and continue along Pulaski Street, Clayton Street and College Avenue.

Mayor Heidi Davison, Associate Dean of Student Leadership Candy Sherman and Alumni Association President Dink NeSmith will serve on the judges panel and choose the winning floats in the categories “Most Creative,” “Best Representative of the Theme,” “Best Overall” and “Best Display of School Spirit.”

The first, second and third-place floats for Greek and non-Greek organizations will be announced at halftime during the game.

Mary Beth Earnest, a sophomore from Calhoun, said she enjoys the parade because it “gets everyone in a gameday spirit to celebrate the Dawgs.”

“Homecoming not only brings the Athens and University communities together, but also the alumni and students,” she said.

Porter Searcy, a junior from Marietta and a member of the Red Coats, said the band will play many favorite pre-game tunes during the parade.

“I like how the community gets hyped up when the Red Coat Band walks by,” he said.

“There’s a whole lot of people downtown bringing the whole community together, not only Greek organizations, but all organizations,” said Matt Simone, a junior from New Orleans and a member of Beta Theta Pi.

Meggin Ford, a senior from Duluth, said participating in the parade makes the members of her business fraternity, Delta Sigma Pi, “all real excited about the game.”

Other student organizations entering floats in the parade include Habitat for Humanities, the Student Government Association, Lambda Alliance and the Rodeo Club.

Anna Rockett, a sophomore from Norcross, said the best part of the celebration is “getting the whole community of Athens involved.”

“Seeing all the student organizations makes me proud to be a part of a place that is so involved and so diverse,” she said.