The Homecoming Parade Party aimed to please on Friday. From diverse music that had hips moving to sheet pizzas and Flying Bison Beer (from an alumnus himself) to roasting smores via a makeshift fire, it was an all-purpose event for alumni, parents or students of Buffalo State.

“This is all a part of Student Life, new student programs and alumni coming together as one,” Director of New Student and Family Programs David Cox said. “So, we have our alumni from multiple different years here. We’ve got 150 parents here, including a bus from New York City. All of our students and Student Life kicking in.”

Cox was assisting in the food line in the plaza, the area in between the EH Butler Library and Campbell Student Union. As he was setting up Friday morning, he saw the plethora of floats that travelled from the Burchfield Penney Art Center through the Elmwood Village and back to the plaza. But it was the week-long events as a whole that made Buffalo State’s Homecoming a success.

“This is just a part of Buffalo State and Buffalo State’s culture now and being a bengal. I say all the time during orientation, ‘It’s a great day to be a bengal.’ And it really is. It’s an exciting time of year and great to see all the families out here, alumni coming back in and joining us for a great weekend.”

As Cox alluded to above, the bus from New York City helped bring families together with an ease on the financial side.

“Our friends at the Harlem Children’s Zone send students to Buffalo State every year so they’ve partnered with us to bring a bus up from the city full of parents to come join our students for the festivities. … Part of New Student and Family Programs is making Buffalo State accessible for everyone. So, we are making partnerships and new opportunities for folks to come up and join us and make things easy. We partnered with hotels this weekend and local businesses to make this weekend a success.”

The unique aspect to the after-parade party was the alcohol. Tim Herzog, Buffalo State’s Class of 1980, served Flying Bison Beer in the plaza. Herzog is the owner of Flying Bison, a craft beer that began in Buffalo. His homecoming was much

“It’s always great to be at Buff State,” Herzog said. “I am an alumnus so for me it is coming back home. It is nice to see a bunch of people in the quad having a good time and get ready for Homecoming (weekend).”

Friday’s events will be capped by STOMP — Step, Dance and Stroll Competition at 7 p.m. at Rockwell Hall Performing Arts Center. For students, it is $3 and for general admission it is $5. On Saturday, there will be a scholar and donor breakfast at 8 a.m. at the Student Union’s Social Hall on the third floor. At 10 a.m., there will be a Bengals and Bagels event at the Science and Mathematics Complex Atrium. The football game against Brockport (the I-90 Bowl) will begin at noon with a hockey game at 4 p.m. and a Class of 1967 reunion dinner at 7 p.m.

For a complete list of events on Saturday and Sunday, go to Homecoming.buffalostate.edu and click on “Schedule” at the top left.

To get more information for other events at Buffalo State go to either Student Life’s website at Studentlife.buffalostate.edu or NSFP.buffalostate.edu for the New Student and Family Programs site.