As the homecoming festivities continue tonight with the homecoming parade, members of the community are pulling together to assure a good time.

Centre Area Transit Authority has planned an organized detour route for buses running during the parade to decrease the amount of delays for passengers. The Town Loop, Campus Loop and Link will all be converted to an expanded Town Loop route starting around 4:30 p.m., said Eric Bernier, CATA service director.

The parade begins at 5:30 p.m. today and is expected to end around 8:30 p.m. when the buses will go back to the regular route.

The Loop will run from Beaver Avenue to University Drive like it usually does and then go to Park Avenue and Curtin Road instead of Curtin Road and Burrowes Road.

Since all Loop buses will be going the same route, students should be able to catch a bus more easily.

"In theory, there will be more frequency on the new expanded town Loop," Bernier said.

However, students might have to face delays as traffic will be stopped periodically on Park Avenue where the floats form out of Mitchell Fields. Also, unforeseen delays may occur depending on the traffic on the street due to people and cars coming into town and leaving town, Bernier said.

Students who normally catch the bus at stops on Shortlidge Road, College Avenue or Burrowes Road need to go to Schlow Memorial Library to get their bus. For any other bus, passengers need to go to the stop on Curtin Road near the University Creamery.

With all these changes, people tend to get perplexed when trying to ride the bus.

Dennis John, CATA operation supervisor, said that some students get confused, especially students not familiar with the area.

Some bus drivers get frustrated driving the converted route during the parade but their frustration is primarily born out of trying to get their passengers to where they need to be, Bernier said.

"There are mixed feelings. Naturally it does upset (the drivers). They are dealing with a lot more traffic than usual and a lot of stress," John said.

Most drivers have a positive outlook toward the parade though.

"We're really supportive of this event. It is one of the great things about living in this environment and it's a great parade," Bernier said.

Others are also looking forward to tonight's parade with excitement as a new section has been added to the parade.

This year will be the first year that the parade will contain a special section with a multicultural element. The section will include different students representing different countries and different ethnic groups, such as Brazil, Taiwan and Bangladesh, said Queen Nworisa, Undergraduate Student Government multicultural affairs director.

The multicultural part will be very similar to the parade of nations of the Olympics. Groups including Black Caucus and Latino Caucus will also partake in this part of the parade.

Each group will choose their own way of representing their nation creatively, with things such as costumes, cultural music and flags. There will be a lot of interaction with the crowd, Nworisa said.

The idea for the special multicultural section was initiated as a way to get more students to get involved and to make participation more diverse and multicultural. The section is modeled after the same type of parade that was done at Penn State Abington College last year. Participation was open to anyone on campus who wanted to show his or her national heritage and cultural identity.

Those organizing the parade and those who have heard about the special section are eager to see it.

"There is a lot of enthusiasm and anticipation about this part of the parade," Nworisa said.