Local businesses and organizations have signed up to participate in the 2012 Homecoming Parade on Saturday.

The parade will start at 9:30 a.m. Saturday at the intersection of Lincoln Avenue and Seventh Street.

It will travel up Seventh Street to Monroe Avenue. The procession will take a left and travel to Sixth Street, turn right on Polk Avenue and left on Division to O’Brien Stadium.

Ashley Beaudoin, the University Board Homecoming chairwoman, said there are about 100 entries for the parade with around 15 floats.

Beaudoin, a senior psychology major, said the route has been the same for the last four years.

Beaudoin said the route is longer, but better for the community than it was four years ago.

“We want to get more of the community involved; that is why we switched it,” Beaudoin said.

The parade route ended at Old Main before the switch four years ago.

Beaudoin said the parade is meant to include the community and the school.

“It’s exciting to prepare for it— seeing the new entries and the different kinds of registered student organizations,” Beaudoin said.

Beaudoin said she is excited to see what the different organizations come up with for the floats or car decorations this year.

Beaudoin said some of groups that will participate in the parade are the Panther Marching Band, the Charleston High School Marching Band and other local businesses.

“There are different people that are coming together and getting involved,” Beaudoin said. “Everyone is involved, even the community.”

She said there will also be groups like the Ashmore Estates Haunted House.

“We are trying to get different ones,” Beaudoin said. “We were trying to ask organizations like Teen REACH.”

Pilson Automotive is also allowing the Homecoming Court to be driven around in some of its cars.

Beaudoin said there have been issues in the past with crowds, but they have a number of staff and police officers on the street to help prevent any problems.

“An issue has arose, often for the band—there have been people who are drunk and will toss things into the group,” Beaudoin said. “If we know specifically who it is, they will get in trouble.”

Corey Francis, the director of the Panther Marching Band, said the band is ready to participate in the parade.

“It’s not something we really have to put any extra time into,” he said. “We do a few things with it but mostly just march.”

The Charleston Marching Band will also be marching in the parade.

Laney Grimes, the director of the Charleston Marching Band, said they are looking forward to participating in the parade again.

She said she would watch the parade, and played in it, when she was younger and wants her students to have the same opportunity.

“It’s probably the most challenging parade we do all year, being as it’s the longest, but we love the fact that it is in our hometown,” Grimes said. “We have a lot of people to perform for, and with it being in our hometown, a lot of them are family or friends.”

Grimes said the only reason the band stopped participating in the parade was because the crowds got out of control.

Grimes said her goal was to get the band back into the parade after they stopped years ago.

She said Eastern and the city have stepped up and taken care of the problems, which is why they participate again.

Grimes said the band loves performing in the university’s Homecoming parade.

“Charleston is very lucky in the fact that we have a university in our backyard,” Grimes said.

Grimes said the parade is a big event for the community.

“I grew up in Charleston so I remember being a little kid and going and watching the parade,” Grimes said. “Often, it was the highlight of my year. It was so much fun to watch.”

Francis said the parade is about spirit, and it is important that the parade includes them.

“Can you imagine the parade with out the band?” Francis asked. “We’re a part of the spirit and help make homecoming what it is. We help entertain the crowd, and it helps us gain exposure and build upon what we do.”

Francis said the week of activities is a good thing to have during the year.

“Homecoming helps reenergize everyone,” he said.

Samantha McDaniel can be reached at 581-2812 or slmcdaniel@eiu.edu.

Amy Wywialowski contributed to this report.