On Wednesday night Vandegrift hosted its eighth annual Homecoming parade.  At the parade, PALS took the honor for the best parade float. Students, parents, faculty and community members members gathered to watch and support students who were involved in the festivities.

“It was honestly so cool to actually win the competition for having the best float,” junior PALS member Abby Gunn said. “Honestly I didn’t think we would win, but when we were announced for having best float it felt so rewarding.”

The PALS won the contest with their downtown Austin themed float.  They incorporated the downtown buildings and sights into their float’s design.

“We definitely put a lot of hard work into our float for the parade,” Gunn said. “We created some signs, like our ‘I Love PALS So Much’ sign! We worked so hard on the float so getting to tell people that we won the competition was really cool.”

Even though PALS had the best float on Wednesday night, other organizations, such as FFA, featured live animals with their float during the parade.

“We planned to use the animals in the parade last year, so I was super excited about that,” senior and FFA vice president Ashley Burton said. “Everyone always comes to pet the animals. They’re so cute.”

Burton also said that she thought the turnout of the parade was bigger this year.

“I was involved in the Homecoming parade last year,” Burton said. “This year it seemed as if there were a lot more families and students at the parade which made it a lot more fun.”

FFA wasn’t the only organization that was applauded by students, parents and staff. Band and Vision showcased their talents in the parade while they marched and played. Students said that they spent hours prior to the day of the parade preparing.

“The band performed and practiced for about two hours before the actual parade and we had a run through of our show and practiced our music,” sophomore band member Amanda Cook said. “All of the hours we have been practicing has really helped us prepare for this parade.”

Band and Vision marches and performs every year in the parade and pep rally.  Performers and band members say that being involved in the parade is a memorable experience.

“It’s really cool to be a part of something as big as the Homecoming parade and to me it’s really cool to be involved,” Cook said. “Even though the entire experience is exhausting it’s still a lot of fun.  I think the students really make it an amazing experience for everyone and it’s really cool to see what the school community as a whole can do.”

Students don’t just enjoy the Homecoming parade. They celebrate all week before the Homecoming football game on Friday night.

“Homecoming has always been so fun for me, so being able to have most of a community come out to support VHS is always great,” Burton said. “The excitement that comes with all the music, decorations and students really brings out all of our school spirit.”