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From left, Conner Santo, Maria Mandese, Jenni Donnellan, Leah Miller, Callie Friedman and Kayla Core members of the Dance Marathon Morale Team surprises the crowds at the homecoming festival with a flash mob set to today's hits on Friday, Nov. 6, 2015.
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A group of runners complete the Gator Gallop on Friday, Nov. 6, 2015. Gator Gallop is a 2-mile run event that started at the UF soccer fields and ended in the Plaza of Americas at UF.
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Kendall Peterson, 7, pulls herself free after bouncing onto an inflatable Velcro wall. The wall was one of many activities for kids in the Plaza of the Americas for the UF Homecoming Festival on Friday, Nov. 6, 2015.
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Jaiden Delapieire, 10, and his grandmother Lisa Stanley sample the military life with some PT at the UF Homecoming Festival in the Plaza of the Americas on Friday, Nov. 6, 2015.
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Runners taking part in the Gator Gallop race to the finish line on the Plaza of the Americas at UF on Friday, Nov. 6, 2015. Gator Gallop was one event the community could take part in as a part of Homecoming weekend.
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Members of Shift Church handed out free kettle corn to the crowds at the UF homecoming festival on Friday, Nov. 6, 2015.
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John Ryan, a UF class of '87 alumnus, cools down after completing Gator Gallop with his dog Red on Friday, Nov. 6, 2015.
Gainesville residents came out in masses to celebrate the 2015 University of Florida Homecoming this weekend, but the parade wasn’t the only event there was to take part in.
The annual Gator Gallop gave the community a chance to run through UF’s campus before diving into the festival.
The two-mile run began at the UF soccer field, making its way to the Plaza of the Americas, where cheering family members greeted runners with gator chomps.
UF's first homecoming festival brought the Plaza of the Americas to life this year. This new festival teamed up with Dance Marathon to give local businesses the opportunity to connect and celebrate homecoming with the university.
The festival featured free food, bounce houses, face painting and tailgating games.
Homecoming festivities continue tomorrow with the Gators football game against Vanderbilt and concludes with Gator Growl at Flavet field starting at 5 p.m.
