A parade float is a moving stage that flaunts colorful banners, elaborate decorations and animated performers, whose goal is to dazzle the crowd.

This year’s homecoming parade will feature floats funded by various student organizations, envisioned and constructed by their members.

Brad Thompson, assistant director of student activities, works with theCrew to produce homecoming events targeted specifically for students.

Thompson said the theme for this year’s parade is a continuation of last year’s theme, “Don’t Mess with TCU.”

“We think it’s a really dynamic theme that students responded really well to last year,” he said.

Student organizations signed up to be in the parade and will participate with a float, decorated car or a walking group, Thompson said.

“The parade is a long-standing TCU tradition, one that is an important part of homecoming,” he said.

Grant Steffes, a junior accounting and finance double major, said his fraternity Pi Kappa Phi teamed up with sororities Chi Omega and Alpha Delta Pi this year to raise the standard of TCU homecoming parades.

The float was inspired by the #Ranidaphobia billboards located around Fort Worth, Steffes said.

“We’re making the car driving down the highway with the [billboard] in front of the car,” he said.

Steffes said finishing their float on time was a challenge because they constantly ran out of the foundation, colored tissue paper called “pomps.”

“We had to make multiple trips to the store to pick up more paper,” he said.

Lucas Whited, a junior political science major, said Delta Tau Delta and Alpha Chi Omega have declared “War on the Jayhawks” as the theme for the float, which will feature military-themed props, flags and a few enthusiastic Horned Frogs ready for battle.

“We wanted to go big this year,” he said. “Anything else would have been boring. We decided we had this cool idea — let’s go all out with it.”

Whited said the homecoming parade is a chance for the TCU community to see what students have accomplished with a little bit of imagination and a lot of school spirit.

“As far as homecoming goes, I think the purpose of a float is to show your team spirit,” he said.

Steffes said he hopes his hard work will inspire others to “think big.”

“TCU should step up,” he said. “It’s going to make homecoming better in the future.”

Click here to view the evolution of TCU Homecoming Parade floats.