Cal U marks 150th year during homecoming
California University of Pennsylvania will be hopping this weekend with the celebration of homecoming, which marks the end of the university’s yearlong 150th anniversary celebration. “This is an absolutely good time. Everyone really gets into the homecoming celebration. Every place will be buzzing. There’s a lot of activity on campus,” said Nancy Pinardi, assistant dean for student services,
According to Pinardi, this year’s homecoming celebration will be a fun time for all as Saturday begins a weekend full of food fun and games.
Saturday’s festivities will begin with a Royal Brunch at 9 a.m. in the Performance Center. Then at 10 a.m. a pre-parade activities fair will include a petting zoo, interactive games, cartoon stars, food booths and giveaways to entertain students and members of the surrounding community.
Pinardi said many members of the community as well as alumni and students will participate in the pre-parade activities.
“We try to draw people to the campus, that’s why we hold many of the events toward the beginning of the campus,” Pinardi said. “And the Student Association is distributing free stuffed animals to the first 500 children on the parade route. So the closer you are to campus, the more free stuff you get.”
An official dedication of the Michael and Julia Kara Alumni House will begin at 10:30 a.m. The new Alumni House has been the focus of alumni activities throughout the year and will be a place for alumni to stay and gather during visits. It has a room designed for 80-person formal dinners and several smaller rooms and an alumni relations office. The house is named after the parents of Elizabeth Kara Dodson, who has been the primary benefactor with a $1 million donation.
The parade will begin at noon and will include seven high school bands and the university’s band, seven local fire departments, nine fraternity and sorority floats and 18 cartoon mascots, including Sponge Bob, the Grinch, Scooby Doo, Spiderman and Superman among other things.
Pinardi said the parade should last about 90 minutes and will, of course, include this year’s homecoming court in convertibles and last year’s homecoming king and queen and their court in horse-drawn carriages.
The parade will begin at Gallagher parking lot on campus, down Third Street through town to Union Street and back to campus.
Pinardi said this year’s homecoming king and queen and winners of the floats will be announced during halftime of the football game.
The football game against Lock Haven begins at 3 p.m.
Beth Center High School band will perform during pre-game activities.
Parking in the borough will be limited during the homecoming festivities.
There will be no parking 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the 200 to 500 blocks of Second Street and from the 200 to 400 blocks of Third Street.
The 200 block of Union Street will be closed.
There will be no parking Friday and Saturday in the Clyde/Stanley lot, the Gallagher-Hamer lot, and the administration lot on Third Street.
Parking will be available in the McCloskey river lots, World Culture lots, the lots behind Manderino Library and the lots behind the Natali Student Center.
Vehicles parked in restricted sections will be ticketed and then towed at the owner’s expense. Owners of towed vehicles can receive information by calling 724-938-3233.