CEDAR FALLS, Iowa - The University of Northern Iowa is proud to announce the grand marshal for the 2024 Homecoming parade will be Paralympic gold medalist and UNI senior Olivia Chambers. 

Chambers, a biology major from Little Rock, Arkansas, is UNI’s first swimmer in school history to be named to the United States team for the Paralympic Games. Showing hard work, determination and fearlessness, she exemplifies the Panther spirit, making her the perfect person to lead the Homecoming parade. Not far behind will be parade dignitaries, fellow Paralympians and UNI alums Jessica Heims and Erin Kerkhoff.

"We are proud that Olivia Chambers will be representing her university and UNI Athletics as the grand marshal of this year's UNI Homecoming Parade," said UNI Director of Athletics Megan Franklin. "Olivia's performance in the Paris Paralympic Games was truly exceptional. I encourage the community and Panthers everywhere to join us in celebrating her accomplishments. We are grateful that the university is also honoring Olivia's fellow Paralympic competitors from UNI as Jessica Heims and Erin Kirkoff will be among the many Homecoming Parade dignitaries. It's a great time to be a Panther! Join us for all the festivities during Homecoming Weekend."

Other dignitaries for this year’s parade include Franklin, President Mark Nook, Waterloo Mayor Quentin Hart and Cedar Falls Mayor Danny Laudick, and 2024 Gold Star Award recipients for outstanding teaching.

The 2024 UNI Homecoming parade will march down Cedar Falls Main Street on Saturday, Oct. 26 beginning at 11 a.m. This year’s theme is “Panthers on Parade,” celebrating the more than two dozen statues of UNI’s mascot TC displayed throughout the Cedar Valley. The parade will begin at 9th and Main streets, travel north on Main Street to 2nd Street, then end at River Place Plaza.

UNI graduates Brad Wells and David Warrington will emcee the parade, which will also be livestreamed on YouTube. Wells, a video producer at Around The Corner Productions, co-hosts the TV show “Panther Sports Talk” and has served as a broadcast announcer for UNI Athletics. Warrington, a multimedia journalist at KWWL-TV is also no stranger behind the microphone, having also announced broadcasts for the UNI Panthers and high school teams around the Cedar Valley.

The parade is just one way to celebrate UNI’s Homecoming. On Friday, Oct. 25, The Pork Tornadoes will perform a free concert on central campus. UNI Volleyball plays at home in the McLeod Center both Friday and Saturday nights, along with UNI Football  in the UNI-Dome on Saturday. Three performances of “The Music Man” will take shape on stage of the Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center, a collaboration with Cedar Falls Community Theatre, Waterloo Community Playhouse and Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony.

For complete details on this year’s Homecoming events, check out the Homecoming website.