Misty weather didn’t dampen the Spartan spirit for Homecoming 2026 at UNC Greensboro. Alumni, students, and their families returned to campus for a weekend of celebrations, which included a bonfire, concerts, games, reunions, and Family Weekend activities.
Homecoming intentionally coincides with Family Weekend at UNCG. This year, the weekend drew thousands of alumni and families coming to visit their students. While homecoming brings alumni back to reconnect with their alma mater, Family Weekend offers parents and other family members a chance to tour campus, meet their students’ new friends, and experience Spartan spirit firsthand.
A Blaze of Spartan Glory
Homecoming festivities officially began on Friday night with a bonfire that sent flames reaching three stories high from an alumni-built metal ring that encircled the burning pallets. Crowds gathered on a warm evening colored by glow sticks, music, and dancing.
Some of the 2026 Alumni Award winners served as torchbearers with Chancellor Franklin Gilliam, Jr. Together, they lit the lower pallets to the delight of the students and alumni there to celebrate UNCG.
And celebrate they did…
A Family Affair
The Quad came alive as vendors set up tents on Saturday morning. Attendees shopped for UNCG sweatshirts, sampled skin care products, and rifled through book sales. It was all part of the Family Reunion, organized by the Black Alumni Network. At the north end of the quad, a DJ spun tunes over a grassy dance floor where alumni stepped, spun, and cha-cha’ed to familiar tunes.
A light mist settled over the campus as the Family Reunion wrapped. Rather than heading in for cover, folks popped umbrellas and continued to dance, laugh easily with old friends, and wander toward College Avenue for even more excitement.
A Festival Fit for Royalty
Just as the rain cleared, College Avenue was transforming into Street Fest. The lawn in front of the Main Library was full of tents and representatives from UNCG’s academic departments. Known as Academic Row, this is where current students brought parents to meet their professors, and alumni checked in to say hello to their favorite advisors. No one left the lawn without grabbing a piece of Founders Day cake.
College Avenue was lined with food trucks where folks ordered snacks before Colin Cutler ’16 M.A. kicked off the first of three alumni concerts on a stage in front of the Stone Building. Cutler’s Americana sound was followed by Dalia Razo ’20 M.M., ’24 Ph.D., a bilingual musician and assistant professor of music education. The party was capped with a set by rap artist Tymain Robbins ’18, back home from chasing his dreams in Brooklyn.
The Street Fest had something for everyone:
- Kids found a spot just for them at the Children’s Fest presented by the School of Education, complete with a bounce house and arts and crafts projects under a special tent outside of the Petty Building.
- Minerva’s Mobile Health Unit offered free health screenings and administered 171 flu vaccines during homecoming.
- New this year was a rummage sale that raised $4,400 in support of alumni programs.
But the diverse crowd united at the main stage when UNCG’s homecoming royal court was announced, and Kierra Dickerson and Micah Monroe were crowned.
Reunion Vibe Check
Sure, the weather could’ve been better, but loyal Spartans showed up for homecoming. Not only were the main events well attended, but the real alumni love was evident in the private gatherings. Here’s a sampling of the parties held in campus event space and elsewhere in Greensboro:
- The Rugby Club celebrated its 49th annual reunion with a weekend of events starting with a wine tasting at the EUC.
- Chancellor Gilliam welcomed students’ visiting families during a Family Weekend meet-and-greet.
- Spartan athletes gathered for their annual Hall of Fame reception.
- Classes marked milestone reunions with brunch, cocktails, or service events.
The strong turn-out despite the weather was a reminder of why UNCG alumni come back for Homecoming each year. It’s not about a football game or a parade. They return to reconnect with the people and places that shaped their experience. Make plans now to join us next year!
Story by Becky Deakins, University Communications.
Videography by David Row, University Communications.
Photos by Sean Norona & Bert Vanderveen, University Communications.
