By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

It’s homecoming week at Hays High School. The 2016 theme is Hometown Hays and the making of a traditional parade float by each class began Sunday.

One tradition will change slightly this year.

Friday afternoon’s homecoming parade route along downtown Main Street will stop short of its usual ending point. The reason–the 44th annual Hays Oktoberfest will also be underway in Hays Municipal Park at the very south end of the parade route. Oktoberfest continues until 7 p.m.

“We’ve been talking to the Hays Police Department about what to do because of the traffic and other stuff downtown and at Oktoberfest,” Assistant HHS Principal Chris Michaelis said. “The parade will be cut a little bit short. We’ll actually stop between 6th and 7th streets.”

Normally, parades traveling south on Main Street continue to 4th Street and stop in front of the Hays Aquatic Park.

Lineup for the 74 entries is at 4 p.m. between 20th and 16th Streets. The parade begins at 5 p.m.