High school homecoming - how much will you spend and who pays for it?

[DisneyHardin]

https://texashighways.com/culture/how-homecoming-mums-became-a-texas-tradition/

I had only heard it as a Texas tradition but it apparently exists as a tradition in several other states.

Here is a mum that probably cost more than $350

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Some more reasonable sized mums
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Apparently there is a male version, the homecoming garter.
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Those are crazy!!! Our Homecoming Mums in HS were one white mum with some ribbons hanging down and usually a pipe cleaner anchor in the middle of the mum because that was the symbol of our HS.

 

[NotUrsula]

I had heard about them too, maybe from
this board. So it’s supposed to be like a giant corsage? And boys are expected to buy them for their dates? Are they trying to outdo each other? I can’t imagine wearing something so huge like that and moving around with it. What do they do with them after homecoming? Are they made with real flowers?

I think this (funny!) blog entry should answer most of your questions: https://alamocitymoms.com/education-and-schools/the-ritual-of-homecoming-and-the-sacred-mum/

BTW, This is a photo of Sheryl Crow wearing a traditional mum corsage at a Homecoming game at the University of Missouri. This is the type of mum corsage that is more common for homecoming in the rest of the US, and was also the standard in Texas once upon a time, before someone decided it needed to be bigger and "better".

PS: I still happen to have my homecoming corsage from Sr. year; I pressed it. However, it wasn't a mum. My school (again, because orange was our color) often used marigolds instead of mums or in combination with them. Marigolds tended to hold up better when worn for a full school day and the game afterward, and had an extra, somewhat secret benefit in a muggy Louisiana stadium during hurricane season: they repel mosquitoes!

 

[design_mom]

Each high school has its own stadium here and has for as long as I can remember. They get used a-lot, way more than 1 day a week during football season.

Lacrosse is held on the same field/stadium as are the JV football games.

Since each stadium is also capable of hosting track and field events, those are hosted there as well.

It is rare that I drive by the high school near my house during the school year and don't see the stadium lights on because some event is being held. During the week and during the weekend it is more than likely being used.

The fields were being used so much that the grass was really suffering. The school district started a program to replace all the fields with artificial turf so that it was not necessary to start limiting events.

Same with our school. I volunteered with the marching band. The band ran the stadium concession stand as a fund raiser. There were usually 12+ contests per week — football, boys/girls soccer, boys/girls lacrosse, boys/girls track, field hockey, etc. and often JV and varsity games for each sport… plus plenty of practices used the field too (concession stand wasn’t open for practices though).

My kids had track practice in the stadium every day after school in the spring, and it wasn’t uncommon for another team to be practicing on the infield while they used the track.

 

[NotUrsula]

I think that some people may be defining "stadium" differently. Probably the majority of high school stadiums in the US consist of a football field with a tartan-surface track surrounding it, and metal bleachers, with perhaps a cinderblock building on one side housing locker rooms, restrooms and a concession stand, with the bleachers and a basic press box above them. Usually the end zones are open, with only a chain-link fence barrier.

Now, that said, there are certainly some high schools that have much nicer digs. The largest in the US that serves a single school is in Allen, TX. It has all the bells and whistles you usually find in a college stadium, and seats upward of 18K. https://www.dallassports.org/venue/view/20470/Allen-Eagle-Stadium.html?sp=1

 

[RangerPooh]

My daughters high school has decided to not have a winter formal this year, and instead focus on homecoming as the "formal". I told DD who's a senior that her spending limit is $100 and to use shoes that she already owns. Our other daughter (sophomore) has decided to skip as she already has other plans. The amount spent on homecoming is ridiculous.

 

[tvguy]

Our stadium is shared between the two high schools in our district and even that poses quite a few scheduling challenges. It isn't just football, though between the two schools there are five football teams - varsity and JV at both as well as freshman at ours. There's also boys and girls JV and varsity soccer at both schools, boys and girls JV and varsity track at both schools, varsity lacrosse at the bigger school, plus marching band and cheer performances/competitions. Our athletic directors kind of hate the shared stadium because any event that needs rescheduled is a major headache.

I was in high school when the idea of sharing a stadium between districts fell out of favor and a big part of the problem, in our area at least, was that transportation was starting to be outsourced and needing to provide buses to home games as well as away was an expense and hassle the district couldn't/didn't want to undertake. But since the district has (had?) rules in place prohibiting students from driving themselves, and graduated license restrictions and parental rules all but negate the option of carpooling with teammates, it was decided that an in-district stadium was necessary.

Here, the Freshman games are played at the visiting school, the JV plays at 4 pm at home school, and the Varsity plays at 7 pm at the home school. I sure never heard any arguments about conflicts of different sports need the facilities as the same time. The arguments in favor of individual stadiums all centered on building school spirit and self esteem. Players here are all required to ride the team bus, which is paid for by the school Booster clubs. They do a lot of fundraising for the teams.

 

[mumto3girls]

Homecoming is a step down from prom in my area, but still fairly formal and can be expensive. My older girls only went as freshman and sophomores; my youngest went last year as a freshman and is planning to go again this year. Not sure if she’ll go after this year. I’ve spent as little as $70 on a homecoming dress and as much as $200. Most years they’ve borrowed shoes and jewelry from each other or reused something they already had. We have a neighbor girl in cosmotology school; she usually does their hair and make up. Middle DD is great at doing elaborate nails so she does that for herself and her sisters. Tickets aren’t usually too pricey—maybe $20 per person. They do usually go to dinner at a middle of the road chain or local place along the lines of Bravo or Fridays or something similar.

I’ve always paid for dress, shoes and tickets. They pay for the rest. Sometimes a date will pay for tickets/dinner, but not always. Usually a date will also do a corsage which around here comes with a boutonnière. If they are just going with a group of friends they usually skip the flowers.

 

[tvguy]

Each high school has its own stadium here and has for as long as I can remember. They get used a-lot, way more than 1 day a week during football season.

Lacrosse is held on the same field/stadium as are the JV football games.

Since each stadium is also capable of hosting track and field events, those are hosted there as well.

It is rare that I drive by the high school near my house during the school year and don't see the stadium lights on because some event is being held. During the week and during the weekend it is more than likely being used.

The fields were being used so much that the grass was really suffering. The school district started a program to replace all the fields with artificial turf so that it was not necessary to start limiting events.

The individual stadiums were controversial not just because of the cost, but because the new stadiums were build at schools that had been there 40 to 50 years, in areas where residents were promised a stadium would never be built there.

 

[soccerdad72]

I think that some people may be defining "stadium" differently. Probably the majority of high school stadiums in the US consist of a football field with a tartan-surface track surrounding it, and metal bleachers, with perhaps a cinderblock building on one side housing locker rooms, restrooms and a concession stand, with the bleachers and a basic press box above them. Usually the end zones are open, with only a chain-link fence barrier.

Now, that said, there are certainly some high schools that have much nicer digs. The largest in the US that serves a single school is in Allen, TX. It has all the bells and whistles you usually find in a college stadium, and seats upward of 18K. https://www.dallassports.org/venue/view/20470/Allen-Eagle-Stadium.html?sp=1

I agree, I think most people have varying thoughts when people mention "stadiums"

This is our high school's "stadium" for example - I think our official capacity is 2,500, but they bring in temporary bleachers for their rivalry football game and they are closer to 3,000 for that game.

I did a search, and this was listed as the largest capacity high school stadium in our state (Ohio), at a little under 17,000

 

[aprilgail]

Those mum things are weird, and at the risk of offending Texas, tacky as hell. I know, tradition....but, why?

I agree- they look ridiculously tacky.

 

[kdonnel]

The individual stadiums were controversial not just because of the cost, but because the new stadiums were build at schools that had been there 40 to 50 years, in areas where residents were promised a stadium would never be built there.

Schools and churches are horrible neighbors.

I live 2.4 miles by car, 1.75 miles as the crow flies from a complex that is a high school(3806), a middle school(1693), and an elementary school(1276).

6775 students means lots of buses, lots of cars.

I would never want to live closer.

I don't turn right out of my neighborhood from 6:30am - 9am and again from 2:20pm-4:00pm, Monday-Friday when school is in session.

Friday night football nights mean lots of traffic

 

[bcwife76]

We don't have Homecoming in our high schools in Canada so I'm finding this whole thread fascinating

 

[kdonnel]

I think that some people may be defining "stadium" differently.

With the size of the high schools in Gwinnett county, the stadiums are as small as 4000 (A older school that is surrounded by housing and no where to expand) to the standard 10000 person stadiums built the past 15-20 years.

Certainly not NFL sized but still multimillion dollar affairs.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I think it could depend on if someone is living in an area where there's single purpose or where there's dual/multi-purpose.

NWSL played for years at my local high school's stadium (considered the 3rd largest for the league) before moving to the men's professional soccer stadium and now they are getting their own stadium in the next year or so. The men's professional soccer also played at the high school for a match on the Lamar Hunt Open US Cup.




It's capacity is listed about 6,150 and serves as 1 of the 2 district stadiums shared across the 5 high schools. In 2005-2006 it was renovated having been in that current state it was in since the 1950s. You can still spend millions and not have a fancy facility. Some of it is just taking some very old stuff and making it newer. I don't remember how much they spent on that though.

I'd imagine that there are only certain places where they've opted to invest in just one purpose.

 

[ronandannette]

We don't have Homecoming in our high schools in Canada so I'm finding this whole thread fascinating

Right!?! And get a load of those football fields. Can you even fathom a crowd of 3,000 - 6,000 spectators at a high school sport?

 

[tcufrog]

OK, so these pictures are confusing. These mum things - they’re some sort of costume? If one is wearing that, what’s the point of an expensive dress?

OMG someone mentioned these mum things a few years back and I googled it- I was shocked that girls would actually agree to wear those hideous things LOL. Whoever came up with that must have been a practical joker LOL.
Homecoming is not a big deal here- there is a football game that basically just parents attend, no one is going to see a high school football game unless your own kid is playing in it and then there is a dance that evening in the school gym but kids don't get really dressed up for it- some wear jeans, others pants or regular dresses.

I had heard about them too, maybe from
this board. So it’s supposed to be like a giant corsage? And boys are expected to buy them for their dates? Are they trying to outdo each other? I can’t imagine wearing something so huge like that and moving around with it. What do they do with them after homecoming? Are they made with real flowers?

Mums are traditionally bought or made by the male date's mom and given to his date. Sometimes the girl gives a garter to her date. Some girls will make mums for themselves. There are moms who have small businesses making mums and all of the local craft stores stock mum-making supplies. Mums are worn to school on the Friday of Homecoming and to the Homecoming football game. They aren't worn to the dance.

In Texas, high school football games can be a big deal not just for football but also for the drill team, cheerleaders, and marching band. My son's marching band has 178 members including the flag corp. and the drill team isn't part of the marching band. There are schools with larger bands. Bands commission shows every year and often practice at least as much, if not more, than the football team. Shows often include different flags for the flag corp and large, homemade props, set pieces, and backdrops. The band members will often also get a new t-shirt each year with the name of the show and the show's logo on it. Many of the bands have a traditional uniform and a summer uniform since it's so hot here. Our summer uniform is a band polo, a band baseball cap, khaki shorts, black socks, and black marching sneakers. Most bands participate in multiple competitions culminating in the area/regional/state competitions. Flag corp and drum corp compete together during the winter as well.

Parents of band, drill team, and cheerleading members often have their own booster clubs to support the band and raise money and often wear booster club t-shirts to the games. Students will often attend the game as a social event, especially if their team is playing their main rival. Our school is huge (2,600 students) and you have to buy tickets online.

 

[bcwife76]

Right!?! And get a load of those football fields. Can you even fathom a crowd of 3,000 - 6,000 spectators at a high school sport?

oh heck no!

 

[kdonnel]

Right!?! And get a load of those football fields. Can you even fathom a crowd of 3,000 - 6,000 spectators at a high school sport?

The Corky Kell Classic which kicks off the high school season each year has 4-5 games played at Mercedes Benz Stadium, the home of the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United.

Those games have 50,000 to 60,000 in attendance for high school football.

 

[EMom]

Do y’all not live in mum country?

I can’t remember what my son spent on clothes for homecoming, but it was nowhere near the $350 he spent on his girlfriend’s mum (I think we spilt the cost).

I was thinking the same thing. A mum often costs more than the dress. And they get bigger and more expensive as you go from freshman to senior. We realize they are tacky, but the attitude is go big or go home. It becomes fun to raise the stakes every year, getting more ornate and ostentatious. We have a blast with those massive things. I still have DD’s. It had 6 strings of LED lights and was wider than her…. But she’s slim. My favorite was probably the year a drill/dance team girl wore one with a lookalike Barbie as the focal point, dressed in a tiny version of her field uniform.

 

[Lisa_lvspplmvr]

Homecoming is a big deal here . Most kids go with friends in groups unless you have a boyfriend/ girlfriend. A few ask people to the dance who aren’t already dating . Even going with friends dresses are in the $300-$400 range . Yes crazy I know . Then add nails and hair . At least Christmas dance they spend less on dresses. Btw the dance is no big deal . It’s the after parties that are fun they say . They chsnge into casual clothes for that so only 3 hours in the expensive dresses .