It's Time for an Old-Fashioned Huntington Homecoming
A week sure to be filled with excitement will culminate next Friday and Saturday (Oct. 21-22) as Huntington High School celebrates its annual Homecoming festivities. The activities will include the traditional Friday night float building, Saturday parade, afternoon football game and evening student dance.
Alumni stretching back several decades are expected to join the fun as they renew friendships and return to their alma mater. Interest is picking up this week as graduates and current students develop their plans for the weekend. Homecoming never fails to elicit enthusiasm from the whole community.
The parade will kick-off Saturday afternoon at 12:30 p.m. and proceed through the heart of Huntington Village, down Main Street to New York Avenue and then south to Big H Shopping Center and up Holdsworth Drive to the high school.
As is tradition, the parade will include four class floats, the Blue Devil marching band, cars carrying members of the Royal Court, trucks ferrying hundreds of students and various marchers, including Principal Dr. Carmela Leonardi. The colorful and creative class floats will be on display near the football field following the parade.
The afternoon varsity football game pits the Blue Devils against rugged Islip. Halftime activities will include the crowning of the Homecoming king and queen, performances by the Blue Devil marching band and the Highsteppers, the school's competitive dance team, and an announcement of the winning class float entry.
No tickets are required for the football game and admission is free. Kick-off is set for 2 p.m. "It's going to be a great day," Superintendent James W. Polansky said. "Everyone is invited to attend the parade and the football game."
A Friday afternoon pep rally at the school is also planned. Students will be busy Friday night, putting the finishing touches on their class floats until midnight. Following their practice, varsity and JV football players are expected to attend a traditional team dinner organized by parents in the school cafeteria.
DJ Anthony Troffa will provide entertainment Friday night for students constructing this year's floats. The PTSA is donating water and the student council is giving away pizza. Class advisors will give participating students vouchers that be presented for free food and refreshments.
At least 400 students are expected to be at the Homecoming dance Saturday night in the Huntington High School gym, whooping it up from 8 p.m. until midnight. If tradition holds, alumni will gather at restaurants and pubs throughout the village for individual and group reunions and get-togethers, catching up on personal news and relieving their high school years.
Last year's festivities drew an estimated crowd of nearly 2,000, which saw seniors Kyle McCartney and Alexandra Kiley crowned Homecoming king and queen, respectively. If good weather reigns, a similar throng is expected next weekend at Huntington High School.