Crowds welcome the return of the Homecoming Parade on Main Street

On Saturday, Oct. 9, crowds lined up along Main Street to welcome the long awaited return of the annual Homecoming Day Parade, the 49th event in its long history.

And shortly after noon, the traditional parade, led by the Warwick Police Department Color Guard and the Warwick Valley High School Band, arrived at Main Street after lining up at the bus garage.

Homecoming 2021 included a themed spirit week, float-building at the bus garage, an in-school pep rally, powder puff game, bonfire, parade through the Village of Warwick, Wildcats football game and Homecoming Social.

The Homecoming King and Queen were Kyle Gutieriez and Annabelle Wadeson.

Everyone agreed that once again the students had produced very creative floats, each with a “Seasons” theme.

Local and school officials served as judges and voted first place to the seniors for their “Fall” float.

Other creative floats included the junior “Summer” float, which came in second followed by the sophomore “Winter” float, which came in third and he freshman “Spring” themed float.

That same afternoon, the Warwick Wildcats defeated FDR 38 – 21.

This year the students also raised funds for HERoes in Deed, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization inspired by the memory of our HERo, Army Lt. Col. Jaimie E. Leonard, who was killed in Afghanistan on June 8, 2013.

Homecoming Day faculty advisors this year were Jeffrey Jacobsen and April Beauregard.

- Roger Gavan