Written by: Cole Edwards

With a successful first half of the 2013 Homecoming week in the rearview mirror, things are really gearing up as we head into the weekend.

Tomorrow has been designated as Red & Black Day on the VSU Campus. All students and faculty are encouraged to wear their best and brightest red and black clothing to show off their Blazer Pride.

Later in the evening, Downtown Valdosta will be hosting the First Friday/Blazin’ Downtown CommUNITY Throwdown event, in which the merchants will decorate their storefronts with the CommUNITY theme to help cheer the Blazers on to a Homecoming Victory at Saturday’s game. Many restaurants and businesses will also offer discounts to VSU students, faculty and staff for the first Friday event.

The community is also invited to see the Red Hots, Blaze and the 2013 National Cheer Association’s Small College Co-ED National Champion VSU Cheerleaders perform on the Courthouse Lawn at 6:30 p.m.

The big day, Saturday, kicks off with the Homecoming Parade around main campus at 11 a.m. The event promises to showcase the creative and unique ways VSU students and community organizations have interpreted this year’s CommUNITY theme into their floats. The event is open to the public, who are encouraged to set up along the route for a front row view. The route begins on Oak Street, turning right onto Georgia Avenue, then Patterson Street, another right onto Brookwood Drive and ends at the Oak Street Parking Deck.

Tailgating for the big game will begin at noon at Bazemore-Hyder Stadium, a time to celebrate with other fans and meet new friends. The infamous Blazer Walk will begin at 1:30 p.m. as fans cheer the team on to victory as they make their way to enter the locker rooms in the stadium.

The 2013 Homecoming football game against the Florida Tech Panthers begins at 3 p.m., as the Blazers fight to defend the national title. Students receive free admission to the game, but tickets can be purchased at the stadium the day of the game.

Homecoming 2013 will conclude with a Homecoming step show presented by the Mu Omicron chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. at 6 p.m. The event is labeled the biggest step show in all of South Georgia and North Florida, with an average of 4,000 attendees almost every year.