Typically when the Homecoming parade winds its way through campus, all eyes are on the floats.

What students might not realize, though, is that there is more to the parade than that.

The Penn State Crew team usually goes all out by decorating its trailer and boats for the parade, as well as having banquets with alumni and attending the football game, President Jon Stine said.

Not this time.

This year, the second-largest race is taking place Homecoming weekend, so 10 of the team's best rowers and a few boats will be in Boston -- not in the parade.

"We won't have the trailer, but we'll be doing a fund-raiser because our operational budget as a club is so high," Stine said.

He said team members' faces will be painted and they will be handing out water bottles and other promotional items to make money for the team.

Members of Phroth, Penn State's humor magazine, will also be marching in the parade.

"We don't have a float because that's too expensive," President Colleen Simeral said.

Instead, she said spectators will be treated to Phroth members running around in costumes from arcade game Pacman.

Simeral said the group hopes to gain some publicity and have a little fun participating in a Penn State tradition.

For the first time, students involved in Hispanic organizations are uniting during Homecoming by designing a float themed "Latino Spirit."

"It's both [the groups'] first time working together and doing a float," Latin American Student Association President Oscar Barbosa said.

Barbosa said he had difficulty organizing everyone, but things are going smoothly now.

"We have about five to six people from each group helping with the float each day, and we hosted a party to raise money," he said.

In celebration of National Coming Out Day (NCOD), 20 to 30 people are expected to march during the Homecoming parade for the Penn State group Allies, which supports members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and its allies.

"This is the first time a LGBTA group will have marched for quite some time," Vice President Benjamin Holsinger said.

Marchers will wear NCOD T-shirts and display banners and the rainbow flag to raise awareness of the LGBTA community.

"We think it's going to be a good time and we hope lots of people come out and support us," Holsinger said.

Members of the Monty Python Society will be combining the theme of "Death and Show Tunes" with characters such as King Arthur and Sir Robin from Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

"We're gonna look into getting some minstrels," Co-President Kim Cicconi said, adding that she expects 10 to 15 members to participate.

"We're just hoping for good weather and to get the crowd to laugh," Cicconi said.

LaVie has never competed in the float competition. This year, members decided to pool their resources to do something better.

"It's more fun to hand out promotional items and get more people involved," said Jenn Bray, LaVie's business manager.

She said about 30 members of LaVie will be marching behind a truck, distributing 1,000 shirts and 750 mugs and bottle-opener key chains to parade watchers.