Chilton County High School’s homecoming parade will be held on a different day of the week this year than in previous years.

The parade will be held Thursday, Oct. 2 at 5 p.m. in downtown Clanton, instead of Friday, Oct. 3 before the Tigers’ varsity football game against Valley at 7 p.m.

SGA sponsor Kelli Inman said the school decided to move the parade to Thursday in order to spread out homecoming activities and give students more time to prepare for and enjoy the parade.

“We had decided that it was so rushed on Friday afternoon because the pep rally starts at 2, and the kids have to rush to the Fred’s parking lot for the parade at 3:30,” Inman said. “They were just so rushed after school trying to hop in their cars and get there in heavy traffic. This way, we’re trying to see if we can make it last a little longer and make it more enjoyable for everybody so they can remember it.”

Line-up will start at 4 p.m. in the Fred’s parking lot, and the parade will start at 5 p.m.

The parade route will travel from Fred’s along Fourth Avenue North, turn left onto Sixth Street (past the Chilton County Courthouse and Clanton City Hall), turn left by Clanton Fire Station No. 1 onto Second Avenue South, turn left onto First Street, and turn left onto Third Avenue North to end at Fred’s.

The parade will feature the 2014 CCHS homecoming court, homecoming floats for each class, Clanton Middle School cheerleaders, dance team and football team, and Clanton youth league football teams.

Politicians are asked not to be in the parade to keep the focus about CCHS students and homecoming week.

Wall decorations made by students will be displayed starting on Tuesday, Sept. 30.

“Instead of putting them up on Thursday night, this year we are putting them up on Tuesday night so that they can be displayed from Wednesday–Friday of homecoming week,” Inman said. “We were kind of rushed, and we only got to enjoy them for one day, and [students] worked so hard on them all week.”

Inman said if this year’s homecoming changes don’t seem to work well, they can be changed again next year.

“The biggest thing was the parade,” she said. “We wanted people to know we moved the parade because we like for people to come out. Everything is kind of spread out a little, and not all on one day.”

The homecoming pep rally will be held at 2 p.m. Friday, Oct. 3 in the CCHS gym.

This year’s homecoming candidates (pictured) and winners will be presented Friday, Oct. 3 at Tiger Stadium at 6:30 p.m.