Friday, October 6

• 10:00AM   Homecoming Parade Line Up and Float Decoration:  Wear orange and blue and get ready to cheer for our ride on the Alumni Band Homecoming float - we will follow behind the band in the parade!

Location: Museum Road & 13th Street

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The parade will start at the intersection of Museum Road and 13th Street. Parking is available in Garage 4 (Museum and Newell) until 10:00am as roads will be closing for the parade. Enter bottom floor and you will have access to all floors and Newell. You can walk from there to the band float which will be in front of the Delta Gamma house (across from Beatty Towers). 

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• 12:00PM   Homecoming Parade: Let’s help kick off UF Homecoming Weekend! Go Gators!

 Following the parade, float participants will either walk back to campus (approx. 1 mile) or catch a shuttle back to staging area.  You can also plan to be picked up at the end of the parade route but please pay close attention to scheduled road closures.

Location: Parade Route​

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• 5:00PM   Donor and Scholarship Recipient Meet & Connect

Special event for scholarship donors to connect with Gator Marching Band Scholarship recipients. Invitations were sent from the College of the Arts Development team. For questions regarding scholarships, please contact Lula S. Dawit, Director of Advancement, College of the Arts, at ldawit@arts.ufl.edu.

Location: School of Music Atrium

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• 6:00PM   Check-in and Equipment Checkout

We are so excited you are here! Get your Reunion weekend materials and head on down to the rehearsal hall, reconnect with other alumni, or take your picture with Big Boom!

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Registration will be in the Upper Lobby. If you are borrowing a UF brass or percussion instrument, you can pick them up in the Rehearsal Hall.   (You must provide your own mouthpiece/sticks/mallets).  FVE equipment will also be available for pick up at this time.

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Registration will shut down at 6:50pm so we can all make it to rehearsal on-time

Location: Steinbrenner Band Hall

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• 7:00PM   Evening Rehearsal for Musicians, FVE, and Gatorettes

Following rehearsal, all UF instruments and personal instruments (if desired), will be put on the truck to go to Gator Band Field for outdoor morning rehearsal

Location: Steinbrenner Band Hall
 

• Immediately Following    Post-Rehearsal Meet & Greet

An area at Gators Dockside has been reserved for Alumni Band members.  Food and beverage orders will be covered at your own expense. 

Location: Gators Dockside, 3842 Newberry Road

 

Saturday, October 7

• 7:30AM  Check-in​

Parking is available at the Transportation and Parking Building across Gale Lemerand Drive. 
Instrument and equipment checkout will take place at the field and don’t worry, we will have coffee and donuts available sponsored by the Kappa Kappa Psi Alumni Association

Location: Gator Band Field, 1237 Gale Lemerand

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• 8:30AM   Music & Field Rehearsal with Gator Marching Band ​

Section pictures will be taken immediately following rehearsal. Please listen for instructions on where your section will be located as the current Gator Band is on a tight game day schedule.

Following rehearsal at the practice field, all instruments must be loaded onto the equipment truck; instruments will not be allowed into the stadium. ​

Location: Gator Band Field, 1237 Gale Lemerand

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• 10:30AM Alumni Tailgate

Brunch served to registered/ticketed GBAA members and ticketed guests – you will receive wristbands

Big Boom will be available for photos!

Location: Alumni Band Pavilion, 1237 Gale Lemerand

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Shuttle service from Gator Band Field to Stadium will run from 1:00PM continuously. Last shuttle 2:00PM.

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Pre-Game Schedule:

• 2:00PM  Gator Walk - Current Gator Band (Ben Hill Griffin Stadium – North Lawn)

• 2:30PM  Gates Open at stadium

• 3:35 PM Gator Band Alumni be in your seats to cheer on the Gator Band during pre-game!

• 3:40PM  Gator Band Pregame Show (Ben Hill Griffin Stadium) 

• 4:00PM  Kick-off for Florida vs Vanderbilt. You must have a ticket to the game (either in the Alumni Band block or elsewhere in the stadium) in order to participate in the halftime show

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No purses or backpacks are allowed, only clear bags. Approved Bags:

• Clear plastic, vinyl or PVC bags that do not exceed 12"x6"x12"

• A logo no larger than 4.5"x 3.4" can be displayed on one side of a permissible clear bag.

• A clear bag shall be clear from top-to-bottom and up to a 2” trim/border on the bag is generally acceptable.

• One-gallon clear, re-sealable plastic storage bag

• Small clutch bags no larger than 4.5"x6.5", approximately the size of a hand, with or without a handle or strap

• Medically necessary items (after proper inspection)

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Halftime:

Depart seats no later than 7:00 minutes left in the 2nd quarter. You must wear the wristband you received with your registration packet to access the field. You must wear the orange Alumni Band polo shirt (or a generic orange polo shirt if you weren’t able to order an Alumni Band shirt in time), khaki bottoms (shorts, skort, skirt, capris, or long pants), and closed toe shoes to march.

 

Retrieve instruments from the Rental Truck and line-up outside of the South Endzone Tunnel (SEZ). After the visiting team clears the tunnel – Alumni Band enters field via SEZ tunnel, moves into place on the back sideline to perform halftime. Exit to the West sidelines.

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After Halftime:  

Exit stadium through SEZ and return all UF instruments to the truck. Personal instruments will be placed in the Florida Gym. You must show your wristband to re-enter the stadium through SEZ and head upstairs to section A to concourse and seats.

 

After the game (or any point after halftime), pick up your personal instrument from Florida Gym on an individual basis. There will be a room at Emerson Hall to store instruments for those attending the Celebration. All Alumni are responsible to pick up their personal instrument from the Florida Gym.

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Shuttle service will run from stadium to Gator Band Field beginning of 4th quarter to end of game. For those attending the 50th Celebration: Shuttle will add to their route a drop-off at Emerson Hall after roads are opened after the game. Emerson Hall is located across the street from the stadium. Feel free to walk over right after the game before traffic clears.

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• 7:30PM   Gator Band Alumni Association 50th Anniversary Celebration

Location: Emerson Alumni Hall, 1938 W. University Ave.​

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Shuttle service will run from Emerson Hall to Gator Band Field beginning at 8:45pm-9:45pm.

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FAQs

Where do I get my tickets?
Tickets will be sent electronically. You will receive a direct email from the Florida Gators and the Gator Band on how to accept your DIGITAL game tickets. Accept your tickets before Saturday! At registration prior to rehearsal on Friday or Saturday, you will receive your lanyard which will contain your wristbands and other materials – we will be available to help you troubleshoot – Please note, UPD requires that you have a wristband for access to the field for halftime.  

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Do I have to attend rehearsal both Friday and Saturday to be eligible to march?
We recognize that people have other obligations that may prevent them from attending the Friday evening rehearsal, so it is not mandatory that you participate on Friday.  The Saturday morning rehearsal, however, is mandatory as the marching rehearsal is when everyone is assigned their spot on the field for halftime. No spots will be held, so you must attend Saturday morning rehearsal to claim your spot in the halftime show. 

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What about parking?
Please use our suggestions for parking; beyond those words of advice, parking is like it always has been, every Gator for themselves. Do not park in service drives, disabled spaces, loading zones, “no parking” areas, bike lanes, sidewalks, grass areas or reserved spaces (unless otherwise posted).

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Shuttles: We have secured a transportation shuttle for our alumni members who need a little extra assistance moving around campus.  Please look for signs at our pickup point at Gator Band Field parking lot.  Shuttles will leave Gator Band Field parking lot beginning at 1:00 PM and drop off at Gate 16 (South End Zone). Last shuttle from Gator Band Field will be at 2:00 PM. 

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Don’t forget the Florida sun – please be sure to bring water and sunscreen for outdoor rehearsal.

 

If you have any additional questions that weren’t answered here, please contact

gatorbandalumni@gmail.com