Photos Show How US Colleges and Universities Celebrate Homecoming

Oklahoma State University has a rich history of school traditions, including its homecoming celebrations, which the school’s website describes as “America’s Greatest Homecoming.”

Since 1999, students have begun dyeing the Edmon Low Library fountain orange to commemorate the start of Homecoming Week.

Throughout the week, students and alums celebrate homecoming with traditions like the Sea of Orange Parade — which hosts up to 80,000 alums, per the student-run O’Colly newspaper — the Harvest Festival, a chili cook-off, and a walk around Greek life houses to see decorations leading up to the homecoming football game.

This year, the celebrations are themed “From: Stillwater, To: The World” and begin on October 12.

One of the most iconic homecoming celebrations in the US takes place at Howard University in Washington, DC, which students and alums have nicknamed “the Mecca.”

The HBCU commemorates homecoming week with a packed schedule of alum events, bar crawls, block parties, performances, guest lectures, and the YardFest event where students and alums gather on the school’s yard to enjoy a concert.

YardFest has previously been headlined by artists like Jay-Z and Drake.

This year, homecoming celebrations, with the theme “One of One,” will begin on October 24, culminating in the homecoming game the following day, per the school’s website.

Along with a homecoming opening ceremony, a 5K race, a series of alums lectures, and a formal homecoming dance leading up to the homecoming football game, Brigham Young University students celebrate homecoming by hiking up the Y Mountain near campus and using flashlights to light up the school’s logo.

This year, the school’s homecoming celebrations will begin on October 14 and feature the theme “Light the Way Forward,” per the school’s website.

The Hobo Day parade, which has been a school tradition since 1912, marks the end of Homecoming Week at South Dakota State University as students dress up and march down the streets on the day of the Homecoming, per the school’s website.

Notably, the “Bummobile” — a preserved Model T Ford car from 1912 — makes an appearance during the parade.

The tradition has also inspired the characters of Weary Wil and Dirty Lil, who have bronze statues on campus. During Homecoming Week, alums will dress up as characters and appear during Homecoming celebrations, with their identities hidden until halftime of the Homecoming game.

Hobo Day (or Homecoming) celebrations will begin on October 6 and include events such as a food truck rally, a talent show, and a “BumFire” and stew.

Florida A&M University students and alums celebrate Homecoming by bringing together the HBCU “FAMU-ly” with a range of events, from a parade to concerts and step shows, as per the school’s Homecoming website.

This year, the homecoming celebrations are themed “Eternal World Tour.” Each homecoming event aims to transport students and alums to a different location, such as the fashion show taking them to Paris and the coronation of the homecoming king and queen transporting them to Dubai.

Events also include a pep rally, a market, a food truck rally, alum receptions and luncheons, a DJ “aux cord battle,” a Battle of the Bands featuring local high schools, a 5K race, a homecoming parade, and a concert headlined by Latto.

Celebrations will begin on October 12.

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette spends the week leading up to its homecoming “painting the town red,” both literally and figuratively, per the school’s website.

Throughout the week, businesses and student organizations decorate their windows with the school colors throughout the city to showcase school spirit. This year, celebrations include a career fair, a food truck festival, a car show, tennis and golf tournaments, a pep rally, homecoming reunion banquets, and a homecoming parade.

Celebrations kick off on October 12 with the theme “All Together Now: A Cajun Country Homecoming.”

The University of Florida celebrates homecoming with 11 days of celebrations, which kick off with a 5K run and conclude with the Gator Growl concert the night before the homecoming football game.

Homecoming celebrations also include a pageant, a multicultural talent show, a festival with local vendors, and a parade through Gainesville.

This year, the Gator Growl concert will be headlined by Steve Aoki, and homecoming celebrations began on September 26, per the school’s website.

Each year, University of Maryland students and alums celebrate homecoming with Terp Carnival, a grand event featuring live music and fireworks.

This year, celebrations also include a comedy show by Saturday Night Live’s Marcello Hernandez, a cornhole tournament, a food truck festival, and an alum tailgate leading up to the homecoming football game, per the school’s website.

Celebrations will begin on October 26.

During homecoming week, the Trojan Knights — or school hosts — at USC take shifts guarding the statue of Tommy Trojan, the school’s mascot, from rival schools’ pranks. During the week, the school community pays visits to the guarding crew with marching bands, football coaches and players, students, and alums coming out to support the Knights, per the group’s website.

This year, celebrations will kick off on November 13, culminating in the November 15 game against the University of Iowa Hawkeyes.

Events include alum tailgates, class reunions, a comedy show, and faculty panels.

For University of Miami students, homecoming is one big party.

During the week, students also decorate the Spirit Tree, an orange fruit tree located on the school’s campus. The most notable tradition at the school is the annual boat-burning ceremony on Lake Osceola, where it is said that if the mast of the boat falls before the boat sinks, the school will win the homecoming game, per The Miami Hurricane student newspaper’s website.

Students also enjoy the Hurricane Howl block party and a homecoming concert produced by the student organization Hurricane Productions, which has previously been headlined by artists such as Marshmello and 21 Savage.

This year, celebrations will begin on November 3, culminating in the homecoming football game against Syracuse University on November 8.

Homecoming is a significant time for students at the University of Oklahoma.

During Homecoming Week, students participate in the ring ceremony, where those who have purchased a school ring are greeted by the school president and honored.

Another way the school commemorates Homecoming Week is by displaying a chrysanthemum garden decorated with the school colors each fall, as per the school’s website, right in time to welcome returning alums.

Homecoming celebrations also include a free show, which this year is headlined by Dan + Shay, a rally, and a parade leading up to the homecoming football game against the University of Mississippi.

This year’s celebrations will begin on October 20.

University of Wisconsin—Madison students and alums celebrate homecoming with one big “student prank,” as the school’s alumni website calls it. During the “Fill the Hill” fundraiser, students place pink lawn flamingos on the campus’ Bascom Hill. With each donation, a flamingo lands.

The homecoming week, which this year will begin on October 5, also features events such as a parade, a block party, an alum meet-up, and a multicultural yard show, all leading up to the homecoming football game.

University of Central Florida students celebrate homecoming with their “Spirit Splash” tradition, an energetic pep rally where students jump into the Reflecting Pond to collect rubber ducks, per the school’s website.

The school’s mascot, Knightro, also makes appearances during homecoming week.

Homecoming events leading up to the football game against West Virginia University this year also include a fireworks show, alum tailgates, Greek life trick-or-treating, a talent show, a comedy show, and a concert headlined by FLO.

Celebrations will begin on October 12.