Activities, parade planned for Purdue Homecoming

Purdue will celebrate Homecoming 2014  today and Saturday (Sept. 26-27) with a variety of activities, including the Boilermaker Night Train Parade, a special Boiler Bridge Walk, the crowning of the Homecoming king and queen, and a family-friendly celebration featuring activity tents hosted by colleges, schools and units across campus. The activities lead up to the Purdue-Iowa football matchup at noon Saturday at Ross-Ade Stadium.

TODAY

Ride the Boilermaker Special: The Purdue Reamer Club will offer the Purdue community free rides on the Boilermaker Special. Pickup and drop-off are on the west side of Stewart Center about every 15 minutes. All rides are weather-permitting. Rides typically take place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., but times can vary based on pilot availability.

Boiler Bridge Walk: Meet and greet the Boilermaker football team at a special Homecoming edition of the Boiler Bridge Walk, which starts at 5:30 p.m. today at the fountain on the West Lafayette side of the John T. Myers Pedestrian Bridge. Details are here.

Boilermaker Night Train Parade: The parade, which starts at 8 p.m. today at the corner of Pierce and State streets, will feature floats, walking units and vehicles focused on the theme "Stay Gold." Participants will include the Purdue "All-American" Marching Band. The parade route is detailed here.

TODAY AND THIS WEEKEND

Purdue women's soccer matches: Purdue women's soccer will close out the month of September with a home-for-Homecoming weekend, when the team will host Minnesota and No. 13 Wisconsin for the third year in a row. Kickoff at the Boilermaker Soccer Complex is set for 7 p.m. Friday vs. Minnesota and 1 p.m. Sunday vs.Wisconsin. Details are here.

Purdue women's volleyball: Purdue women's volleyball will serve up two home matches this weekend against Michigan and Michigan State at Holloway Gymnasium in Brees Center. Purdue takes on Michigan at 7 p.m. today and Michigan State at 7 p.m. Saturday. Details are here.

SATURDAY

Boilermaker Crossing: Purdue fans can meet the teams, play on inflatable games, get prizes, listen to live music and more at the family-friendly Boilermaker Crossing at 9-11:30 a.m. Saturday at Sally and Bob Weist Plaza between Mackey Arena and the Brees Academic Center (IAF). The event is free.

211° Session: The 211° Session pre-game pep rally will feature the Purdue "All-American" Marching Band, football head coach Darrell Hazell and the Boilermaker football players. The event starts at 9:49 a.m. in Mackey Arena.

Homecoming celebration on Stadium Mall: From 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, the family-friendly celebration on Stadium Mall will feature stage performances, food vendors and activity tents hosted by colleges, schools and units across campus. In addition, other available activities on the mall will include stilt walkers and representatives from the Confucius Institute at Purdue, who will be teaching children how to write "Boiler Up" in Chinese. More details are available here.

"Pure Gold" video: Created by a team of Purdue students and graduates, the University's new "Purdue Gold" 30-second TV spot will air during Saturday's game. The video, which features a voice-over by Purdue alumnus Robbie Hummel, highlights how Purdue delivers quality and value. It also can be viewed here. A College of Technology story about a computer graphics student involved in the project is here.

Purdue football vs. Iowa: The game starts at noon at Ross-Ade Stadium. Ticket information is available here.

Post-game concert: The Purdue "All-American" Marching Band will perform at approximately 4 p.m. at Slayter Center.

ADDITIONAL GAME-DAY RESOURCES

* Boilermaker Depot: Game-week activities and spirit initiatives
* Guide to 2014 Purdue Football

* 2014 GameDay Central
* Game notes for Purdue vs. Iowa

NEXT UP

Purdue vs. Michigan State: Purdue football takes on Michigan State on Oct. 11 at Ross-Ade Stadium. Time TBA. Ticket information is available here.

Boilermaker Butcher Block tailgating orders: Boilermaker fans who enjoy grilling burgers and brats at tailgates can now pre-order their meat from the Boilermaker Butcher Block and pick it up on game day. Orders for the Oct. 11 home game are due by 5 p.m. Oct. 8. More information about program and how to order is here.

PURDUE SPORTS

For more on Purdue sports, including schedules, ticket information and player profiles, go to www.purduesports.com.