Homecoming Kicks Off October 2 With 'Just a Kid From the Heights' Theme

We are all just kids from the Heights.

And we’ll have a Homecoming Parade to prove it. The 2026 Heights Homecoming Parade, sponsored by Heights Athletic Boosters, will take place on Friday, October 2, kicking off from Coleridge Road at 5 p.m. and moving north through the Lee Road business district to the high school. 

Aric Jones from the class of 2009 is a well-known fashion designer and the owner of Homebred Legends whose “Just a Kid from the Heights” tees and hoodies fly off the shelves. He’s also the older brother of head football coach Bryce Jones, the best friend of Kansas City Chiefs football star Travis Kelce, and this year's Parade Marshal. 

Jones will be followed up the block by the Heights High marching band, high school clubs and teams, both district middle schools, community groups and candidates for public office, and all seven elementary schools with the transportation department bringing up the rear. Groups that still need to register can do so here. 

The parade will end in the parking lot nearest the high school softball and baseball fields for a pre-game tailgate with food trucks. If fans want to ensure their car is waiting for them, they should reserve a spot at the Tiger Tailgate, organized by Heights Athletic Boosters, here. The $10 fee guarantees them the best parking throughout the parade and game, and gives them a place to store food or warmer clothes for evening, all while benefiting the student athletes of Tiger Nation.

The entire community is invited to come out and line Lee Rd to watch the parade go by. The grassy space in front of the library and behind the football stadium are two great spots for families with young children, not to mention all the businesses along the block that will be taking advantage of the DORA. 

The Heights Schools Foundation will host an alumni watch party at The Wine Spot with swag, including Jones’ “Just a Kid from the Heights” t-shirts and hoodies.    

The evening fun continues as the varsity Tigers face off against the Painesville Riverside Beavers at 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased here. All youth wearing their Future Tigers shirts get in free. 

Any community members not marching who’d like a role in the parade are invited to sign up as volunteers. It takes many adults to direct traffic (and children!) and keep everyone safe along the route. 

Please note that the Cleveland Heights Police Department will close Coleridge Road between Stratford and Lee from 4:15 to 5:15 p.m. so students can gather safely in the street. Lee Road from Coleridge on the west and East Scarborough on the east all the way to Washington Blvd will be closed briefly between 5 and 6pm as the parade passes by. Please plan accordingly.