Everybody loves a parade, but you may not if your car is parked east of Normal Road Friday afternoon.

Some streets and parking lots which are east of Normal Road and south of Lucinda Avenue will be blocked off for the Homecoming parade which begins at 5:15 p.m. on Friday.

University Police Capt. James L. Webster said Castle Drive, Gilbert Drive and portions of College and Lucinda Avenues will be blocked off for the parade. Also, part of Lincoln Highway will be closed down while the parade is in progress.

Webster said parking lots 3, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 and M2 will be closed as well. Lots 10 through 13, near the Psychology-Math Building and Montgomery and Faraday Halls, are accessible only from Castle Drive.

Lots 3 and 14 are located behind the Jack Arends Visual Arts Building and M2 is a metered parking lot near Altgeld Hall on College Avenue.

Webster said that because part of Lincoln Highway will blocked off during the parade, the nearest way to get east or west is to take Hillcrest Drive, which is north of Lincoln Highway.

He said he expects the parade to reach the university by about 5:30 p.m. People parked in the blocked-off lots should be aware that they will probably have to sit and watch the parade if they do not leave before that time, he added.

Webster said he figures the parade should be over by about 6:30 p.m. this year, which is shorter than past years, since there are no floats, which were cut out of the parade this year primarily due to the time and cost of construction.

About eight or nine high school marching bands, the NIU Huskie Marching Band and the Royal Homecoming Court will be performing.

Webster said he foresees no problems with the blocked-off areas, as long as people are aware of them.