With the football program a thing of the past, ETSU set out to find an event to fill the void left by the traditional homecoming game. That event is the Fall Family Festival, which is set for Saturday, Oct. 30.
Deciding how to redefine homecoming in the wake of losing the football program was not an easy feat.
“Some people were thinking, ‘Do you have homecoming without football?'” said Carla Warner, director of adult, commuter and transfer services, who also headed up the working committee to plan the event.
“We looked first at institutions without football and started generating ideas,” Warner said, adding that there were many unique homecoming celebrations where football was not present. “It was decided that we wanted to showcase our campus and have a festival type atmosphere.”
The next step was to reach out to the different departments to see what they could contribute. “It has taken a lot of work,” Warner said.
With a small budget to work with, most of the activities had to be generated by the departments and colleges on campus. The end result is an event that spans the campus and offers events and activities for all ages. The Fall Family Festival will began at 10 a.m. and continue until 4 p.m.
There will be music by the ETSU bluegrass bands, the Buccaneer Brass and the Jonesborough Novelty Band. The “Taste of Appalachia” will feature local food items like biscuits, apple butter, country ham, sugar stick candy, jams, cheeses, sorghum and pork barbecue.
Events are planned for young children, including storytelling and painting pumpkins. A haunted house, a CSI-type crime scene and a display of Gray Fossil Site finds will be among the events geared toward older children and adults.
“We wanted to get our current students to bring their families back to campus,” Warner said. The day will be topped off by a Buccaneer basketball scrimmage at 3 p.m., with proceeds going to the Johnson City Medical Center Children’s Hospital.
Warner said that she realizes that there may be some alumni and members of the community who are apprehensive of a Homecoming without football, but she urges them to keep an open mind.
“We need our alumni and friends to come out and show their support,” Warner said. “Think of this institution as more than just the football team. This is a fine university with a broad spectrum of activities. There are just so many parts of ETSU.”

Author