This year’s Homecoming Parade has a different twist – it will feature pets.

New to the parade this year is “Pets on Parade,” where the Coles County Humane Society walks dogs and showcases cats in the parade that are up for adoption.

“The way we’re doing that, we’ve had a meeting with some of the organizations to pick a couple of people from the organizations to actually walk the pets, so you can meet the pets, kind of hang out with the pets and during the parade, they will be walking the dogs and there will be some cats that will be in cages on wagons,” said Homecoming Chair Brian Allen. “People can see that these animals are up for adoption at the Humane Society and they can go adopt them if they’d like.”

Another new feature this year is the “Star Look-Alike Contest” for pets. The winner gets an Oscar and a $15 gift certificate to Petropics.

“They can dress their pet up, they can put glasses on them, some kind of T-shirt, put them in a wig or something,” Allen said. “They can dress up their pet in any fashion they want as long as it’s clean and presentable.”

There will be three different categories for the pet look-alike contest, which include dogs, cats and miscellaneous/exotic.

“We have cut reptiles and amphibians out, though,” said Heather Zike, interim assistant director of Student Life. “There’s some disease going around with the amphibians going around right now. Most owners of reptiles and amphibians wouldn’t want them out anyway in open air. It can either be really hot or really cold. We’d allow birds, or someone who has ferrets on a leash, as long as the USDA rules are followed.”

There are also several pit bulls up for adoption, but because of how the public views them, they, as well as rottweilers, will not be featured in the parade “for the safety of the other animals and people on the parade route,” Zike said.

Although not a pet, President Bill Perry is new to the homecoming parade this year.

“The grand marshal this year will be President Perry. We thought that it’s his first year, so we should definitely showcase him this year, so he will be our official grand marshal,” Allen said.

Distinguished alumni recipients will also be in the parade.

“The Alumni Association has contacted some of the alumni and they’re also going to be in the parade in convertible cars following President Perry,” Allen said. “Some of the alumni that are coming back are: Marty Hickman, class of 1980; Joni Comstock, class of 1979 and Betty Smithson, class of 1963.”

Other features in Saturday’s parade will be floats from several Recognized Student Organizations, fraternities and sororities as well as residence halls.

“The Greeks are going to be doing more floats this year, and residence halls are doing walking floats,” Zike said. “There’s a lot of community walking floats as well.”

Zike described walking floats as someone who hands out information about a union, political people or someone just handing out candy.

“Ashmore Estates is having a haunt. They’ll be walking, and handing out candy and maybe information.” Zikes said.

The ANSAR Shrine Cycle Patrol will be pulling a truck that usually recycles and then will be riding motorcycles in the parade. There will be decorated cars in t he parade as well.

Also included in this year’s parade, will be the Pink Panthers, Eastern’s cheer team, as well as athletes, the soccer team, the rugby team and the track team, Allen said.

For children, there will be a float featuring PBS characters, Maya and Miguel, also in accordance for Hispanic Heritage Month. Announced in the parade, will also be the Homecoming King Freddie Perry, Homecoming Queen Ingrid McCallister, Homecoming Prince Andrew Hubbard and Homecoming Princess, Amber Hazzard.

“The Homecoming Court will be in there,” Zike said. “King and queen, prince and princess and then the first runners up.

“Since our theme is Hollywood, we have rented a limo for the day and king and queen will be riding in the limo along with the prince and princess. And we also have a little prince and a little princess, which is a little boy and a little girl from the community who we pick from the community to represent little Mr. EIU and little Miss EIU.

“The parade should be a really, really good turnout this year with a lot more floats, and going back to the tradition of what homecoming is all about.”

The parade begins tomorrow at 9:30 a.m. and will run a little over an hour. It will begin by Old Main, and head down Seventh Street, go around the courthouse in the Charleston Square, and then head back towards campus down Sixth Street.