This article is featured in the 2024 Homecoming Special Issue.
Each term brings its own ‘big weekends’ — winter has Winter Carnival, spring boasts Green Key and fall claims both Homecoming and Halloween. This year, Homecoming — which is set to take place from Nov. 1 to Nov. 2 — will coincide with the first weekend after Halloween, a social period colloquially referred to as “Halloweekend.”
According to conferences and events logistics director Jim Alberghini, the late timing of the Homecoming football game — which is normally held in October — caused the combined weekend.
“[This is] the latest we’ve ever had Homecoming weekend,” Alberghini explained.
In the past, the combined ‘Hoco-oween’ has raised concerns about campus safety. The last time the two hallmark events coincided, the fall of 2022, the Greek Leadership Council extended the Greek First-Year Safety and Risk Reduction Policy — known as the “frat ban” — by 24 hours. The change aimed “to ease the pressure of ‘intense logistical challenges’ associated with the return of alumni for Homecoming weekend and Halloween festivities in Greek houses,” The Dartmouth reported in October 2022.
The following year, the GLC voted to permanently extend the frat ban from week seven of fall term in previous years to “noon on the Wednesday after Homecoming weekend, or noon on the Wednesday following Halloween, whichever is later.” The extension sought to give visiting alumni time to leave campus after Homecoming and Greek spaces “the opportunity to fully update their risk procedures after big weekends with new members,” The Dartmouth reported. This year, the frat ban will end on Nov. 6, according to the Greek Leadership Council.
Although the scheduling of the two events has garnered attention in the past, the celebrations themselves present many key differences.
Homecoming is centered around the Dartmouth community’s affection for the College, with alumni returning to campus to celebrate the Dartmouth Night Parade — a procession of alumni and students walking from East Wheelock Street up to the Green. Notable Homecoming weekend events include the Bonfire on the Green, during which freshmen traditionally walk a lap around the flames, surrounded by alumni and community members, and the Homecoming football game — where the Big Green will face Harvard University at Memorial Field — along with a host of other planned activities and events.
Conversely, Halloween — and Halloweekend more broadly — consists of various student-planned social events. Halloweekend also allows for greater flexibility than Homecoming, as the College traditionally provides less extensive official programming.
Alberghini explained that Halloween is not expected to “really impact” Homecoming, a sentiment shared by a number of students aware of the merged weekend.
Going into his last Homecoming weekend as an undergraduate, Alan Ngouenet ’25 said the combined weekend would not affect his experience.
“When you’re a senior, you kind of just have all of senior spring to look forward to, so I’m not super concerned about Homecoming or Halloween,” he said.
Kennedy Wiehle ’25, a member of the Programming Board, said the designated timing for Homecoming activities leaves space in the weekend for Halloween festivities.
“[The] time [Homecoming] events happen is pretty specific, so I think that still leaves plenty of time for Halloween to also happen,” she explained. “I honestly don’t think those events really coincide.”
The latest official Homecoming events open to the public are scheduled for 8:30 p.m., according to the alumni and families website. Halloween festivities, held in Greek houses, residence halls or other social spaces, often occur later in the evening.
Hugh Neill ’28, who is set to play in a men’s rugby match against Harvard on the afternoon of Nov. 2, said he doubts the festivities will be too disruptive.
“[It] will be fine,” Neill said. “We will be able to have our Homecoming game and then have fun that night. It’ll be good.”
Some students are also anticipating Halloween-themed social events to extend beyond the dual big weekend, Julia Gordon ’27 explained.
“I would not be surprised if [people also celebrate Halloween the previous weekend] or because it’s Dartmouth, Wednesday,” Gordon said. “The Wednesday before will definitely be Halloween.”
At Dartmouth, Wednesdays, along with Fridays and Saturdays, are considered “on nights,” during which Greek houses often host events. Students may also host their own parties in residence halls, apartments or other venues.
Wiehle also said students will likely host Halloween festivities in the days leading up to and following Homecoming.
“Halloween events are always longer than the actual weekend itself,” Wiehle said. “… There might be events happening the weekend before, the day of, after. … I think it just depends on which [Greek] house [or club] is having events.”
The dual-event weekend is not expected to upend any aspects of the quintessential freshman experience either, according to Avery Gallo ’28.
“I don’t really care that much just because I have never experienced [the events],” Gallo said.
Gallo also added that while the combined weekend could seem “less interesting” to some, she believes it could prove to be “really amazing” in the end.
“I think it could actually be a little bit more fun to [have the joint weekend], because … Homecoming’s so exciting, and there’s so much going on,” Gallo said. “And then mix on top of that Halloweekend, [when] there’s already such a spirit here to … get really involved and get dressed up.”
