Spectators young and old came out for the first Homecoming Parade that Albert Lea has seen in a long time.

The Homecoming Parade started at 4 p.m. Thursday from the North Broadway parking lot and went down Broadway until William Street.

Even though it was just three blocks, a sizable crowd lined the streets and loud cheers were heard from all sides from parents, grandparents and community members.

Andrea Thompson, grandmother of senior and football player Dylan C. Johnson, and Käri Fjeldberg, mother of senior and football player Kenny Fjeldberg, were among the people watching the parade on the sidewalk.

Thompson and Fjeldberg thought the last parade was around 2000, but they are just excited to see it return. Fjeldberg said she hopes it will become part of Homecoming again, and she wants to see more enthusiasm for all sports.

Tammy Krowiorz of the Albert Lea football boosters club said she’d also heard it had been over 14 years since the last parade, which was most likely called off because students would get too out of control, she said.

However, Krowiorz said she heard many comments about people more than excited for the parade to be back.

“It’s time for it to come back,” she said.

Larry and Mary Lahs were also watching the parade and were happy to see it return.

The Lahs both graduated from Albert Lea High School — Larry in 1961 and Mary in 1962 — and seeing the parade brought back their own Homecoming memories from when they were students.

The Lahs said there used to be a lot of floats in the parade, and they believed each homeroom would make its own float. They also described there used to be a bonfire after the parade.

Larry said it was a great get-together for the whole town and he thinks it’s going to come back.

“We hope so,” Mary said.

Their one complaint — if it can be called a complaint — was that the band wasn’t there.

In place of the band was the Power 96 van rolling through the parade, blasting the Albert Lea fight song. Many of the spectators were cheering and singing along with the song, and Krowiorz said many people told her they hadn’t heard the fight song in a long time.

The parade opened with the Homecoming king and queen, Connor Larson and Anna Englin. Larson and Englin were followed by the football team on a large flatbed truck, ensuing loud cheers and well-wishes from the crowd.

Krowiorz said it was an eye-opener for the football players, as she said many of them were surprised to see the number of people that were at the parade.

Although the Tigers were overcome by the Falcons this year, Krowiorz said that next year she hopes the parade will be bigger. She said there will hopefully be some floats, and the parade will be on a Wednesday evening, to not interfere with Thursday evening sports.