By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

ALABASTER – In addition to showing support for the city’s sports teams, this year’s Alabaster City Schools homecoming parade will pay homage to a group of individuals who work to protect the city every day.

ACS recently finalized the theme of “Warrior Strong, for this year’s parade, which will occur much earlier in the season this year than it has in past years.

The parade will begin at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 14, at Thompson Middle School. From TMS, the parade will travel down Warrior Drive in front of Thompson High School, turn right onto Thompson Road and then turn left on Alabama 119 before ending at Larry Simmons Stadium behind Thompson Intermediate School.

Following the theme of “Warrior Strong,” each entry in the parade will display a blue ribbon honoring the men and women of the Alabaster Police Department, said ACS Student Services Coordinator Dorann Tanner.

“We know our police are the epitome of the phrase Warrior Strong,” Tanner said. “Every float will have a blue ribbon on it somewhere, and we are encouraging everyone in the city to display blue ribbons in honor of the police.”

This year’s parade grand marshal will be Alabaster Police Chief Curtis Rigney.

During the parade, each Alabaster school will design a float utilizing the “Warrior Strong” theme. The parade also will feature the THS marching band and visual ensemble, city youth league football players and cheerleaders and more.

Immediately following the parade, the night will conclude with a community pep rally at Larry Simmons Stadium stadium featuring messages from THS head football coach Mark Freeman and team captains.

The parade and pep rally will come two days before the Warriors take on the Oak Mountain Eagles in a Sept. 16 homecoming matchup. The contest will be Thompson’s first home game of the season after opening play against Godby High School of Florida in Mobile on Aug. 27, at Tuscaloosa County on Sept. 2 and at Mountain Brook on Sept. 9.

This will mark the fourth-consecutive community homecoming celebration for Alabaster since the Alabaster City School System formed in July 2013. The past three celebrations have drawn thousands of spectators along the parade route to show their support for the Warriors.