Penn State will hold its annual Homecoming Parade on Friday, and with it will come road and parking lot closures and changes to bus routes.
Motorists should expect some traffic delays during the time of the parade., and westbound traffic on East College Avenue will be detoured onto University Drive.
The parade route will be closed from 5:30 p.m. until approximately 8:30 p.m. and parking along the route will be restricted. Vehicles parked on College Avenue must be moved before the parade’s start. The parade forms on Porter Road and from there goes:
– West on Curtin Road, crossing University Drive, where the parade will be joined by units that have formed on the IM fields north of the IM Building
– West on Curtin Road to Bigler Road
– South on Bigler Road to Pollock Road
– West on Pollock Road to Shortlidge Road
– South on Shortlidge Road to College Avenue
– West on College Avenue to Burrowes Road
– North on Burrowes Road
The parade ends at the intersection of Pollock and Burrowes Roads.
Porter Road will be closed to all northbound traffic from Hastings Road to Curtin Road from 5:30 p.m. until the parade units clear the roadway. No traffic will be allowed to exit Lot 44 onto Porter Road until the parade clears and all traffic exiting Lot 44 will need to travel west on Dauer Road, south of the Bryce Jordan Center, where vehicles will be allowed to turn on to University Drive.
The university advises students, faculty and staff who do not wish to remain until the conclusion of the parade to remove their vehicles from the following areas before 5:30 p.m. Friday:
- Yellow H (Shields Building)
- Yellow H (IM Building)
- Yellow H (Wagner Building)
- Orange J (McCoy Natatorium)
- Lot 42 (north of Building 14)
- Lot 81 (at Ritner/Wolf Halls and Pollock Building) – must exit to Mifflin Road then travel south to McKean Road
- HUB Parking Deck (Yellow C)
- Yellow J (Atherton Hall)
- Yellow N (College Avenue in front of Health & Human Development)
- Lot Brown A (Reber & Deike buildings)
Pollock Road will remain open to Burrowes Road for vehicles exiting Lot Brown A at Willard Building, Brown E on Fraser Road, and Old Main.
Parade Parking
Parade parking will be available from 4-9 p.m. at
- Lot Red A (west of North Atherton Street)
- Nittany Parking Deck (next to the Nittany Lion Inn)
- East Parking Deck (located near the corner of Bigler and Curtin Roads)
- Eisenhower Deck (next to Eisenhower Auditorium)
- HUB Deck
Vehicles entering prior to 4 p.m. or remaining past 9 p.m. in the East, HUB, or Nittany decks will be charged $1 per hour for parking. Valid Penn State permits will not be charged after 4.
Visitors who want to park overnight will have to purchase a $30 weekend pass at the entrance to one of the four campus parking decks (East, Eisenhower, HUB, Nittany) or Lot Red A at White Course Drive.
Parade parking is not permitted in any lot designated for resident students.
Concert and Hockey Parking
With Penn State men’s hockey hosting St. Lawrence at Pegula Ice Arena at 7 p.m. and Rascal Flatts performing at the Bryce Jordan Center at 8:30 p.m., event parking sales will be in place Friday evening at Lot 44, Stadium West and Porter North. Payment of the event parking fee will be required for any vehicles not displaying a valid Penn State parking permit.
Fans attending the men’s hockey game are urged to park at Stadium West, where both general and ADA parking will be available. Premium parking at the sections of Lot Yellow H near Shields Building and Wagner Building will remain available until 6:15 p.m. Friday, though permit holders are urged to arrive before 6 p.m. Access to these lots will be available only by traveling north on University Drive and west on Curtin Road. Shields and Wagner premium permit holders who arrive after 6:15 p.m. will be redirected to Stadium West. Access to premium parking at Lot Orange F will remain available throughout the evening, but due to parade route restrictions, all vehicles attempting to reach this lot after 6 p.m. Friday must do so by traveling north on University Drive, west on Hastings Road and northeast on McKean Road.
Doors will open at the Bryce Jordan Center for Rascal Flatts at 7:30 p.m., and normal access to Lot 44, Stadium West and Porter North should be available between 7:30 p.m. and the show’s 8:30 p.m. start time.
All vehicles must be removed from event parking lots before midnight Friday night in advance of Saturday’s home football game.
Bus Route Changes
A number CATA routes will have detours at points during the parade. Check here and scroll down to ‘Homecoming Parade Detours’ for specific route details.
Campus bus and shuttle route changes will be in effect from approximately 5:30 p.m. until 9 p.m. Friday:
Blue Loop – There will be no Blue Loop service during the parade. All buses that usually provide Blue Loop service at this time will be redirected to operate as additional White Loop or Red Link service.
White Loop – The White Loop will take the following routing for the duration of the parade:
From Beaver Avenue at Schlow Library, the bus will follow normal routing to University Drive. The bus will then travel University Drive to Park Avenue, turn left on Park Avenue, left on Shortlidge Road, and right on Curtin Road. The bus will travel Curtin Road to Curtin Road Extension, turn right on Curtin Road Extension, left on Atherton Street, and left on Beaver Avenue, where it will travel back to Schlow Library. There will be no service to the bus stops on Curtin Road between University Drive and Shortlidge Road, or to Burrowes Road.
Red Link – The Red Link will follow the following routing for the duration of the parade:
From West Campus, the bus will follow normal routing to the Pavilion Theater traveling on Curtin Road to Shortlidge Road, turn left on Shortlidge Road to Park Avenue, and then stay on Park Avenue to Innovation Park. From Innovation Park, the bus will follow normal routing to Park Avenue, where the bus will travel to Shortlidge Road, turn left on Shortlidge Road, and right on Curtin Road, where the bus will resume normal routing to West Campus. Temporary stops will be placed along Park Avenue to accommodate those needing to access parking lots Stadium West, Lot 44, and the Centre County/Penn State Visitor Center.
There will be no service to the bus stops on Curtin Road between Shortlidge Road and Porter Road, and no service to the stops on Porter Road near Medlar Field, or near the Centre County Visitor Center.
Green Link – From 5:30 p.m. until 6:30 p.m., the Green Link will follow the Red Link detour routing.
Campus and Paratransit shuttles – Service will stop at 5 p.m. due to parade-related road closures.
The Google Map below includes the parade route, parking, and impacted lots and roadways
