By NEAL WAGNER / Managing Editor

ALABASTER – For the first time since the annual Alabaster homecoming parade tradition was revived six years ago, the event will move to a new venue this year, Alabaster City Schools officials announced on Aug. 14.

ACS will hold its homecoming parade and community pep rally on Wednesday, Oct. 10, beginning at 6 p.m. Instead of following its previous route from Thompson Middle School past the old Thompson High School and then on to Larry Simmons Stadium, this year’s parade will start in the back parking lot of the new THS and will circle the school before ending at Warrior Stadium.

After the parade, the school system will hold a community pep rally in Warrior Stadium beginning at about 7 p.m. and ending with a fireworks show. In addition to the varsity football team and cheerleaders, the parade also will feature the THS marching band and visual ensemble, city youth league football players and cheerleaders and more.

This year’s parade theme will be “Warrior Family,” and all floats will be decorated to go along with the theme. Thompson High School alumni, local historian and author of the book “Alabaster and Siluria: The Early Years – A Pictorial History” Bobby Joe Seales will serve as the parade’s grand marshal.

During the pep rally, school leaders will award prizes to parade floats for best overall, best THS class float, most creative, best use of theme and most spirit.

The parade will come two days before the Warriors host region foe Vestavia Hills in the THS homecoming football game. The October matchup will be the team’s third home game of the 2018 season, and the Warriors will look to post their third consecutive victory over the Rebels.

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