Homecoming parade traffic advisory

The Citizens First Homecoming parade will be held from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Friday (Oct. 31).

The parade begins on College Heights Boulevard at Alumni Drive and ends at Avenue of Champions and University Boulevard.

A list of changes to traffic patterns and street closings follows:

Traffic patterns

Parade floats and other participants will begin staging at 3:30 p.m. along State Street and College Street at College Heights Boulevard.

State Street, from 14th Street, up the hill to the light at College Heights Boulevard will be reduced to one lane.

Parade participants will be lining up in the right hand lane.

Only emergency vehicles will be able to turn left from 14th onto State from 3:30 p.m. until approximately 5:45 p.m. – after the parade begins and all participants have traveled past the intersection of College Street and College Heights Boulevard.

Parade participants will also be staged along College Street between 14th Street and College Heights Boulevard.

Vehicles traveling up College Street toward Cherry Hall will be encouraged to turn right onto 14th Street at the Newman Center.

Vehicles on 14th Street will be encouraged to turn left onto College Street toward 13th Street.

The parade ends at the Avenue of Champions/University Boulevard traffic light.

All float entries will be turning right onto University Boulevard and turning right again onto College Heights Boulevard. Floats will be staged on College Heights Boulevard (formerly Dogwood Way) until the completion of the parade. At that time, floats will be placed on display in the left lane of Avenue of Champions from South Lawn to Bates Runner Hall. Floats will remain on display throughout the Homecoming weekend.

Street Closings

Between 3:30 and 5 p.m. some vehicle traffic may be allowed to travel to the top of College Street with the intention of turning onto Hilltop Drive and circling around to State Street. This will maintain access to Wetherby, Potter Hall, Van Meter Hall, Garrett, etc., after 3:30 Friday afternoon. When exiting Hilltop Drive, it is highly recommended to turn right toward Normal Drive, rather than taking the left onto State Street.

Alumni Drive will not be accessible between 3:30 and approximately 5:45 p.m., after the entire parade has traveled past this point on College Heights Boulevard.

College Heights Boulevard(formerly Dogwood Way) will be closed beginning at 4:30 p.m. until the completion of the parade and the floats are staged on Avenue of Champions for display.

Avenue of Champions will be closed from 5 p.m. until the entire parade has completed the route and the floats are staged on Avenue of Champions for display.

Parking Lots Affected

Vehicles parked in the College Hill lot will exit right onto College Street, but will not be able to exit onto College Heights Boulevard between 3:30 and 5:45 p.m.

Vehicles parked in the HUB lot will not be able to exit between 3:30 and approximately 5:45 p.m.

Anyone parked at the Wetherby lot or Schneider lot will not be allowed to exit onto College Heights Boulevard after the parade begins at 5 p.m. These vehicles will only be allowed to exit after the entire parade has passed Parking Structure One.

Anyone parked in PS1, Diddle North, Diddle South, South Lawn lot or Poland lot will not be able to exit onto Avenue of Champions after the parade begins at 5 p.m. until the parade is over.

Vehicles will be able to exit PS1 onto College Heights Boulevard but will only be permitted to turn left toward University Boulevard.

Parking for tailgating will begin immediately following the parade, after the floats are positioned for display on Avenue of Champions.

For additional information, contact Ginny Hensley, WKU Alumni Association, at 270-745-4395 or Parking and Transportation Services at 270-745-2361.