Once, years ago, North Caroliina A&T State University had it’s homecoming game on the same night as Halloween – on the same night that there was a big act at the N-Club. It was almost impossible to move on Elm Street at 11 p.m. and it literally took some cars over an hour to get out a parking garage.
That was something of a perfect storm in Greensboro downtown.
This year, the Greatest Homecoming on Earth falls on Halloween again – and this time around there are going to be a lot more people coming in. Because it’s the 100th anniversary of the massive homecoming.
When North Carolina A&T State University celebrates that 100th anniversary of its famous homecoming later this month, Guilford County officials are expecting an enormous crowd — and they’re taking some extraordinary steps to make sure the celebration goes smoothly.
If you’re not a fan of overcrowding, don’t be anywhere near downtown Greensboro this Halloween.
The university is expecting more than 200,000 visitors for the centennial edition of what’s become known as the Greatest Homecoming on Earth, scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 25, through Sunday, Nov. 1.
And with a crowd that size expected to descend on Greensboro and surrounding areas, county officials are leaving little to chance.
At the Thursday, Oct. 15 meeting of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners, county staff described preparations that have been underway for nearly a year, including the activation of the county’s Emergency Operations Center, special arrangements with major cellular telephone companies and plans to have every full-time county Emergency Services employee working during the busiest part of the celebration.
According to staff, Guilford County began planning for the historic event almost immediately after last year’s homecoming ended. They said the level of cooperation among local agencies and other organizations has been unprecedented.
Representatives from Guilford County, Greensboro, High Point, the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office, campus police, the National Weather Service, Duke Energy, the North Carolina Department of Transportation, State Emergency Management and Cone Health have been involved in the planning.
According to the presentation given to the board on Thursday, Oct. 15, representatives of the various agencies have been meeting at least twice a week for the past six or seven months.
And they haven’t just been talking about the usual problems associated with large crowds.
Officials have conducted emergency preparedness exercises to consider everything from a severe storm hitting during the homecoming football game to a downtown fire, crowd emergencies and situations requiring mass evacuations.
The county has also activated its Emergency Operations Center – something county staff said hadn’t been done for previous A&T homecomings.
One particularly interesting part of the planning involves something that caused problems during last year’s celebration – cellphone service: The enormous crowds last year caused major cellular service degradation in parts of downtown Greensboro and on the A&T campus.
This year, officials have been working with T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T FirstNet to prevent a repeat.
The companies have assured officials that they shouldn’t experience the same problems this year. The direct telephone numbers of actual representatives of the phone companies can be contacted immediately if service begins deteriorating.
The county has also made plans for every full-time Emergency Services employee to work on Friday and Saturday of homecoming weekend. That’s an unprecedented step as far as anyone can remember.
The county has also been working with hotel associations, Airbnb representatives and ride-sharing companies to prepare for the influx of visitors. Local hotels are already nearly at capacity for homecoming week.
“We’ve thrown everything but the kitchen sink at making sure this is an awesome experience,” one staff member told the commissioners.
While the county is concentrating on handling the crowds, A&T officials are concentrating on making the centennial celebration worthy of its name.
During the same commissioners meeting, university Chancellor James R. Martin II said A&T has planned 92 events on campus during homecoming week, with many additional activities scheduled throughout Greensboro and the surrounding region.
Martin said that more than 135,000 visitors were tracked during homecoming two years ago, while downtown Greensboro recorded more than 170,000 visits during last year’s celebration.
This year, he said, the university is anticipating approximately 200,000 visitors.
Martin described homecoming as the largest annual celebration in the Piedmont Triad and said its economic importance extends far beyond the university.
He compared the week to having a second holiday shopping season for local hotels, restaurants, retailers, bars, event planners and other businesses.
The university has previously estimated that its annual homecoming celebration generates more than $50 million in economic impact for the region.
Martin, who previously worked at Virginia Tech, Clemson University and the University of Florida, said he had experienced major university celebrations elsewhere but nothing quite like A&T’s homecoming.
“But let me tell you, no university in this country does it like North Carolina A&T,” he told board.
He and other university officials accepted a resolution honoring the homecoming tradition and the school.
Among the major events scheduled are the homecoming parade, alumni celebrations, concerts, the traditional step show and the homecoming football game against Elon University on Saturday, Oct. 31.
That game, scheduled for 1 p.m. at Truist Stadium, is already sold out.
The centennial celebration marks a milestone for a homecoming tradition that began in 1926, back when A&T was still a relatively young institution.
Over the following century, the event grew from a relatively modest gathering of alumni and students into one of the nation’s most prominent college homecoming celebrations.
The university itself traces its beginnings to 1891, when it was established in Raleigh as the Agricultural and Mechanical College for the Colored Race. It later moved to Greensboro and became one of the nation’s leading historically Black universities.
Several publications have recently named it as the number one HSBC.
The county’s Oct. 15 proclamation, presented by Vice Chairwoman Carlvena Foster, recognized both the centennial homecoming and the university’s contributions to education, culture and economic development.
The proclamation also highlighted the historical importance of homecoming as a gathering place for African Americans during an era when segregation limited opportunities for social and cultural celebrations.
Foster emphasized that the celebration belongs not only to A&T students and alumni but to the larger Greensboro and Guilford County community.
Martin offered a similar invitation, saying that during homecoming week, anyone in Greensboro or the Piedmont Triad is in Aggieland and is welcome to join the celebration.
