It’s Homecoming Week in Huntington UFSD

Huntington UFSD will celebrate Homecoming Day on Saturday. A week of festivities will culminate with an 11:30 a.m. parade through the village and up New York Avenue followed by a 1:30 p.m. Blue Devil varsity football game, performances by the marching band and Highsteppers dance team and an announcement of the winning class float. The Homecoming King and Queen will also be introduced to the crowd.

All eight Huntington UFSD schools will be represented in the parade along with high school clubs and teams, district PTAs, the Huntington Foundation and other groups. There will be some surprises, too. Spirit Weeks and special events and activities will be held in every building.

The entire community, including elementary grade level students and seventh and eighth graders at J. Taylor Finley Middle School is invited to a Thursday night bonfire at the high school. If you have never participated in the event before, you are in for a real treat if you are able to make it there. The controlled fire is simply spectacular.

Thursday night’s festivities will include food, games and a DJ playing music. The Huntington Booster Club will be on hand grilling various items and selling a wide array of clothing and gear. There will be various performances. Clubs and teams also plan to participate and sell food and other items. The event will run from 6-9 p.m. at the high school.

“Homecoming preparation is going really well,” student government President Nina Fascilla said. “All the class officers and other students are working super hard on their grade’s float to hopefully take first place in the competition. The clubs are getting their booths ready for the bonfire and we expect it to be one of the best ones yet! Float day was a huge success last year because it gave everybody a chance to participate, so we’re looking forward to doing that again. We’re getting the stores in the village more involved with the parade, so that should be a great opportunity to bring the community together. Everybody is super excited for this year’s homecoming!”

All four classes will build their respective parade float on Friday. The floats will be constructed based on this year’s Homecoming Day theme: Children’s books. The floats are expected to be especially creative, colorful and eye-catching.

Freshman are The Rainbow Fish; sophomores are the Peanuts; juniors are The Lorax; and seniors are the Very Hungry Caterpillar.”

Saturday’s parade steps off at 11:30 a.m. from the Gerard Street parking lot opposite the US Post Office. Everyone is invited to march. “We are hoping for a lot of participation in the parade and we hope to see lots of people out on Main Street and New York Ave cheering the Blue Devils on,” said David Moriarty, who along with fellow faculty member Danielle Raguzin serves as the student government’s faculty advisor.

Several generations of alumni are expected to participate in Huntington High School’s Homecoming Day festivities on Saturday. The bleachers are expected to be packed for the 1:30 p.m. football game against visiting North Babylon. Halftime will see the Blue Devil marching band performing its 2024 field show, “Dia De Los Muertos.” The Highsteppers will also be performing their high-powered routine.

The traditional Friday afternoon pep rally will be held in Blue Devil Stadium. Students will sit alongside members of their respective grade. Coaches will introduce their teams, the Highsteppers will perform and the Blue Devil marching band will entertain students and faculty members.

The Homecoming king and queen will be crowned by Superintendent Beth McCoy and Principal Rochelle Brown at the pep rally. The winning class float will be announced during extended halftime festivities.

The Huntington football team hosts visiting North Babylon on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. Admission is free.

Shuttle Bus Available for Parade Participants

Those participating in Saturday’s parade can utilize a shuttle bus, which will running back and forth between Huntington High School and the Gerard Street parking lot which is the step-off point. The bus will run from 10:15 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. to ferry parade participants to and from their cars.

No tickets are required for Saturday’s 1:30 p.m. football game. Admission is free. The Huntington Booster Club will be on hand selling food, refreshments and an assortment of Blue Devil apparel items throughout the game.