Correction: This piece was updated at 11:03 a.m. Friday to remove incorrect information regarding the DJ name. The DJ’s name is not Swag Surfin. Swag Surfin is the song that was played at the end of the Block Party event.
DeKALB – Hundreds of students, staff, alums and DeKalb residents gathered together to celebrate NIU’s 117 Homecoming at the annual Homecoming Block Party in downtown DeKalb.
The Block Party went from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Thursday.
There were an array of activities to participate in during the event such as a car show, zip lining and food trucks. There was also a stage at the end of Lincoln Highway for music and announcements made by NIU staff and students.
A parade began with the “Star Spangled Banner” at 6 p.m. During the parade, attendees of all ages lined up along the sidewalk to watch the various floats. The parade was led by police cars and various NIU student organizations, student athletes, fraternities, sororities and the NIU marching band among others.
Caese Carlson, whose husband is a NIU men’s golf coach, talked about what she was excited to see at the Block Party.
“We were excited to come to see the parade. We haven’t been here before for huskie homecoming weekend,” Carlson said.
Finn Franklin, an employee at Cracker Jax, talked about how they enjoyed the Block Party and how it welcomed non-students.
“When there’s big events like this, you kind of, it’s kind of like a good realizing moment. This is a great sense of community,” Franklin said.
After the Parade, they announced the 2024 homecoming royalty, which included Imani Jones, Jeremiah Johnson, Anahita Senobari and Aidan O’Brien. Afterward speeches were given by people on stage such as President Lisa Freeman, football head coach Thomas Hammock, Mayor Cohen Barnes and redshirt junior defensive tackle of the NIU football team Skyler Gill-Howard.
At the end of the event a message was given to the people in attendance to go to Saturday’s homecoming game, and a final song called Swag Surfin was played by the DJ.
