Alumni visiting campus for Homecoming weekend will find rubble and piles of dirt where the familiar Frog Fountain once stood. Instead of allowing campus construction to hinder weekend festivities, the Programming Council is embracing it by making this year’s Homecoming theme, “Building Toward the Future,” said Aaron Wolfe, PC director of spirit and traditions.

“We wanted to incorporate it and make it a celebration,” Wolfe said. “Let people know we’re growing in a great way.”

Students, alumni and their families can celebrate Homecoming at the parade Friday at 6 p.m., which will end with a pep rally and fireworks show at the commuter parking lot on the corner of Stadium and Bellaire drives, said Kim Appel, Homecoming Committee adviser and activities coordinator. The procession will begin at Frog Alley and circle around Main Campus.

Mr. and Ms. TCU candidates, alumni, the TCU marching band and organizations competing in the float contest will be featured in the parade, Wolfe said.

“It’s just a really good, spirited time,” said Kit Lipscomb, PC homecoming director.

Before the football game against the University of Wyoming Cowboys on Saturday, there will be a tailgate and free concert beginning at 3 p.m. in the Worth Hills area in Brachman Hall’s parking lot, Lipscomb said.

The Spazmatics, described on their Web site as a new wave ’80s cover band from Austin, will open the concert, Wolfe said. When the Spazmatics take a break around 3:45 p.m., Third Ordeal, the student-band that won Sunday’s Battle of the Bands, will take the stage, Wolfe said.

This year, the winners of the float contest and Frog Follies, which is the annual homecoming skit competition, will be announced at the tailgate rather than after the events themselves, Lipscomb said.

“We’re trying to bridge events to get people to come to more of them,” Lipscomb said.

Homecoming kicked off a day earlier this year with Battle of the Bands on Sunday afternoon.

“It worked out great,” Wolfe said. “We were told it should be a TCU tradition.”

Another addition to Homecoming week that PC considers a success, was the $1 all-you-can-eat IHOP pancake and cappuccino dinner held Monday on Sadler Lawn, where more than 4,000 pancakes were served, Wolfe said.

“We want to have events that service a large amount of students,” Lipscomb said.