Homecoming Events Celebrate Georgia Tech Traditions
Homecoming Events Celebrate Georgia Tech Traditions
Generations of Yellow Jackets will come together to celebrate Georgia Tech's Homecoming the week of Oct. 23 – 28. Events throughout the week will honor Institute traditions leading up to the Homecoming football game against the North Carolina Tar Heels.
Homecoming Carnival
When: Tuesday, Oct. 24, noon – 3 p.m.
Where: Tech Green
The annual Homecoming Carnival, sponsored by the Student Center Programs Council, promises to be “out of this world” — with inflatables, carnival games, snacks, and slime on Tech Green — in keeping with this year's theme: “to Homecoming and beyond.”
Buzz Bash
When: Friday, Oct. 27, 5 – 9 p.m.
Where: Exhibition Hall
The Georgia Tech Alumni Association invites you to celebrate Tech tradition and pride at Buzz Bash, “the premier Homecoming event for the whole community.” Enjoy pep rally performances, food and beverages, photo ops, "and a ramblin' good time." President Ángel Cabrera will give remarks at Exhibition Hall at 7 p.m. This event is for all ages, and admission for adults includes one drink ticket.
Mini 500
When: Friday, Oct. 27, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Where: Peters Parking Deck
The Mini 500 returns for 2023 as teams of seven — three racers and four pit crew members — compete in an eight-lap tricycle race around Peters Parking Deck.
Each team must rotate the front tire of their tricycle at least three times throughout the race as they attempt to complete all eight laps without destroying their tricycle. The event has been organized by Ramblin' Reck Club since 1969.
Those not competing are welcome to line the course and cheer on the teams vying for the title of Mini 500 Champions.
Freshman Cake Race
When: Saturday, Oct. 28, 6:30 – 8 a.m.
Where: Starting Line, corner of Fowler and Eighth Streets; Finish Line, Harrison Square
Open to all first-year students, the Cake Race is a half-mile race held annually before sunrise on the morning of the Homecoming football game. All participants, whether they run, jog, or walk, receive a cupcake at the end of the race, while the top male and female winners receive a cake and are brought onto the field during halftime of the football game later that day.
Once a recruitment tool for the track team, the race has evolved through the years to become one of Tech's longstanding traditions. The event earned its name in 1913 when wives of faculty members and students' mothers baked cakes to reward the winners. It became a standing event in the Homecoming festivities in 1935.
Ramblin' Wreck Parade
When: Saturday, Oct. 28, 9 – 10 a.m.
Where: Along Fowler Street, between Eighth Street and Ferst Drive
Beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday, line the parade route (starting at McCamish Pavilion and ending across Ferst Drive) to see the vehicles showcased in the 2023 Wreck Parade. The event features three categories of vehicles: classic cars, fixed body, and contraption.
Inspired by the Wreck, a 1930 Model A Ford, any restored vehicle more than 25 years old qualifies for the classic car category. The fixed-body vehicles feature displays designed and built by students to reflect the Homecoming theme. Like a traditional parade float, these vehicles are either machine-powered or can be pulled by another vehicle. And further showcasing the ingenuity of the Institute's student body, the contraption category features vehicles designed and built by students that are completely human-powered, emphasizing creativity and engineering skills.
The event began in 1929 as a race from Atlanta to Athens but was altered in 1932, due to safety concerns. The parade has taken place each year since, with the exception of 1942 and 1943 due to gas shortages during World War II.
Helluva Block Party
When: Saturday, Oct. 28, 4 p.m.
Where: North Avenue
Homecoming week features time-honored Tech traditions, and this event is quickly becoming a fan favorite. Four hours prior to each Georgia Tech home football game, three blocks of North Avenue are transformed into the ultimate tailgate zone with live entertainment, games, food trucks, and concessions.
Homecoming Football Game vs. North Carolina
When: Saturday, Oct. 28, 8 p.m.
Where: Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field
The Yellow Jackets are looking for their third consecutive win over the Tar Heels after erasing a 17-0 deficit in a 21-17 comeback road victory a year ago in Chapel Hill. Along with the traditional Homecoming festivities, Saturday's game will also feature Georgia Tech's National Football Foundation On-Campus Hall of Fame Salute to Paul Johnson. In his 11 seasons on the Flats, the 2023 College Football Hall of Fame inductee led the Yellow Jackets to nine bowl appearances and three Atlantic Coast Conference Championship Games while amassing 82 wins — the fourth most in Tech history.
Class Reunions and Campus Tours
Dates, times, and locations vary.
The Georgia Tech Alumni Association is sponsoring class reunions throughout the week as well as tours of campus hotspots such as the Price Gilbert Library, The Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design, Coda at Tech Square, and more.
Sidebar
As Tech prepares for the Homecoming festivities, voting for Ramblin’ Royalty opened Sunday, Oct. 22 and runs through Thursday, Oct. 26. The winners will be announced at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field during halftime of the Yellow Jacket’s matchup with North Carolina.