RALEIGH — Hundreds of eastern Wake County high school students will put an exclamation point on 13 years of homework, class projects and field trips when they march across the stage at the Raleigh Civic Center at graduation ceremonies Saturday.

Knightdale High School commencement services begin at 2 p.m., while East Wake graduates will march at 8 p.m.

The ceremonies mark a return to the facility where many Wake County students graduated over the years.

Commence-ment exercises have been held at other locations in recent years as the civic center was rebuilt. This year’s exercises, like those in the past, will be open only to people with tickets.

Packages and balloons will not be allowed in the convention center. Wake County school officials are urging guests to arrive early in order to find parking downtown.

Students from Knightdale and East Wake are among 8,000 Wake County students expected to graduate in 2009.

Southeast Raleigh High School, which is a year-round school, held commencement ceremonies May 28. Other Wake County high schools begin holding ceremonies Thursday.