Iowa State's Homecoming has evolved into a Saturday-to-Saturday celebration, beginning Oct. 20 with Yell Like Hell preliminary performances and pizza lunch on central campus and painting Victory Lane north of the football stadium, and continuing through the football game seven days later. "This is State" is the theme for Homecoming 2018, organized by the alumni association.
A full schedule of events is online. Events are free unless noted. Here are a few highlights:
Downtown parade
The third annual Homecoming parade departs from the south side of City Hall downtown at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 21. The parade will head east on Fifth Street to Douglas Avenue, south one block and then west on Main Street to the Grand Avenue overpass.
Parade entrants include the Homecoming Cardinal Court, student and administrative leaders, student organizations and local businesses and organizations.
Homecoming buttons, $5 each, may be purchased at the ISU Book Store, Alumni Center and online. Button sale proceeds support Homecoming programs.
In addition to showing Cyclone spirit, a button provides you free lunch on central campus every day next week. Organizers are adding a faculty-staff line this year to shorten the time employees spend in line.
Here's who is providing lunch each day, Oct. 22-26 (10:30 a.m.-1 p.m. unless noted):
- Monday, Erbert and Gerbert's
- Tuesday, Chick-fil-A
- Wednesday, Fuzzy's Tacos
- Thursday, 7:30-10 a.m. (breakfast), Panera Bread
- Friday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Iowa Beef Council
Your button also gives you free admission to the Cyclones-Texas Longhorns volleyball match on Wednesday, Oct. 24 (8 p.m., Hilton Coliseum).
Awards ceremony
The alumni association's 87th annual honors and awards ceremony, which also includes college-specific awards, will begin at 1:15 p.m. Friday, Oct. 26, in Benton Auditorium, Scheman. A reception follows. The ceremony will be livestreamed on the alumni association's website.
Friday evening at the Alumni Center
Multiple events roll into each other Friday afternoon and evening at the Alumni Center. A happy hour runs from 4 to 6 p.m. The CYlent auction, which supports student scholarships, runs from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday and again during the Saturday morning Cyclone Central tailgate (8-10:30 a.m.). Online bidding has opened and continues through 12 a.m. Oct. 28. The Homecoming pep rally runs from 6 to 9 p.m. and includes ISU coaches and student athletes and final performances of the student "Yell Like Hell" spirit competition. Homecoming button holders can enjoy two slices of pizza and a bottle of soda or water during the pep rally.
Excytement in the Streets, a self-tour of lawn displays, parade floats and even a few skits in the Greek neighborhood west of the Alumni Center, runs from 8 to 10 p.m. Friday.
Rounding out the evening are a pancake feed ($3, 11 p.m.-1 a.m., central campus) and mass campaniling under a fireworks show at midnight.
The Homecoming football game with Big 12 Conference opponent Texas Tech kicks off at 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 27, at Jack Trice Stadium. Tickets ($35-$50) may be purchased online via Ticketmaster.
Student competitions
These performances are free and open to the public.
-- CyFactor talent competition, Wednesday, Oct. 24 (7:15 p.m., Alumni Center), features qualifying performances from Oct. 9-10 auditions
-- Yell Like Hell spirit competition, each skit integrates the "This is State" Homecoming theme and ISU fight song, reserved seating is an option at each performance, student teams paint up after first cuts
- First cuts: Saturday, Oct. 20 (1-5 p.m., central campus)
- Second cuts: Wednesday, Oct. 24 (6-9 p.m., central campus)
- Finals: Friday, Oct. 26, part of the pep rally (6-9 p.m., Alumni Center)
