To kick off homecoming weekend, hundreds of students, employees and alumni came out to revel in school spirit and enjoy festivities on McKeldin Mall throughout the afternoon and evening Friday.

This university’s first pre-party and pep rally before a homecoming football game — a matchup with Clemson on Saturday — proved much more popular than past homecoming events, such as the parade, which drew very few students in previous years, said Ashley Venneman, Stamp Student Union’s special events program coordinator.

Jolie Darrow, a senior government and politics major, came out to the homecoming events Friday for the first time in her four years at the university.

“There are lots of interesting things for people to do,” Darrow said. “You feel a part of the campus community.”

The events started at 3 p.m. with activities including moon bounces, food vendors and a rock-climbing wall and ended at 10 p.m. with a fireworks display.

From 6 to 10 p.m., a beer garden under a tent in the center of the mall drew large crowds of older students and alumni.

A step show by the university’s historically black fraternities and sororities and a skit show featuring the winners of a Greek life skit competition were very popular with students, Venneman said.

Before the fireworks, the marching band and dance team put on a show to get fans excited for the next day’s game.

Several students said this year’s events were more interesting and inclusive than the ones in 2012. Junior journalism major Mara Bernstein said although the homecoming parade in 2012 was mostly geared toward students in Greek life, this year’s evening events were fun and provided something for everyone.

Madison Held, a sophomore biology major, said the mall events were much more interesting than a parade because they got people involved and active.

For freshmen, the pre-party and pep rally were particularly exciting ways to celebrate their first homecoming, said Erica Phlek, a freshman computer science major, and Minhquan Dang, a freshman physics major. The free ice cream offered at the Omicron Delta Kappa tent was definitely a plus, Dang said.

Because the event was such a success, Venneman said, the homecoming committee will consider hosting similar events in the future.

“All the activities drew great crowds,” she said, adding that it was difficult to estimate exactly how many people came and went throughout the day. “People seemed to really enjoy themselves.”

During the homecoming season, homecoming committee advisers are visiting Big Ten schools to find out how homecoming is celebrated elsewhere. Though Venneman is not sure yet what the 2014 homecoming will be like, she said the committee will start the planning process once advisers return, hoping to incorporate aspects of other Big Ten homecoming celebrations into a lasting tradition at this university.

Attendees said they hope to see more events such as the pre-party and pep rally in the future. Part of the draw was their appeal to students, alumni and families alike, said Greg Shaffer, a pre-law adviser in the letters and sciences program who attended the events with his friend and her young children.

“It’s been fun,” Shaffer said. “This could be a great family tradition. I hope it will continue in future years.”