Mums, garters, football, parades and a whole lot of school spirit

You know you’re in Texas when you can spot a homecoming mum from across the football field.

She’s from Texas. I can tell it by her mum.

And we’re not talking about a little flower corsage anymore.

If you didn’t grow up in Texas, homecoming can be a little confusing. There’s the football game. The parade. The pep rally. The dance.

And then there’s the mum.

Actually… the MUM.

Somewhere along the way, Texas took a fairly simple homecoming tradition and decided it needed more ribbon, more bells, more lights, more decorations and, occasionally, a stuffed animal or two.

And honestly?

We’re not mad about it.

So, What Exactly Is a Homecoming Mum?

The tradition didn’t start as the giant, elaborate creations we see today.

The homecoming mum began as a simple chrysanthemum corsage that a student might give to their homecoming date. The tradition existed in other parts of the country, but it largely faded away elsewhere while Texas took it and ran with it.

And then kept running.

Today, Texas homecoming mums can be enormous displays of ribbons, bells, lights, charms, school colors, names, graduation years, mascots and all sorts of personal touches.

Mum’s the word.

And around here, that word comes with a lot of ribbon.

Everything’s Bigger in Texas. Apparently, So Are the Mums.

The tradition itself isn’t uniquely Texan, but Texas certainly took it and made it its own.

The University of Texas at San Antonio’s Institute of Texan Cultures recently explored the evolution of the homecoming mum through its MUMENTOUS exhibit — including an 18-foot-tall homecoming mum.

Yes.

18 feet.

Because apparently we needed to know just how big a homecoming mum could get.

The exhibit traces how the simple corsage evolved into the elaborate creations Texas students now wear, filled with ribbons, lights, keepsakes and school spirit.

Somewhere along the way, Texas looked at a flower corsage and apparently said:

“That’s nice. But can we put lights on it?”

And here we are.

And Then There Are the Garters

Traditionally, girls wore mums and boys wore garters.

Today, the tradition isn’t quite so rigid. Students may buy or make their own, and families and friends often get involved in creating them.

But the idea remains the same: show your school spirit and celebrate homecoming.

And yes, sometimes that means wearing enough ribbon to require its own zip code.

That’s not just an accessory.

That’s a Texas homecoming.

It’s More Than Just a Mum

For students and families, homecoming is about much more than what hangs around someone’s neck.

It’s a week of school spirit.

It’s decorating halls and floats. It’s pep rallies. It’s football. It’s dances. It’s dressing up for theme days. It’s seeing former students come back to town.

It’s parents digging through craft stores for the perfect ribbon.

It’s grandparents asking, “How much did you say that thing cost?”

And for many families, making the mum or garter becomes part of the tradition itself.

There can be a surprising amount of creativity — and planning — involved.

School colors have to match. Names have to fit. Ribbons have to coordinate. Charms have to be found.

And somehow, everything has to stay attached long enough to make it through the football game.

That’s a lot of responsibility for a piece of cardboard and ribbon.

There are also plenty of people behind the scenes making it happen — florists, crafters, small businesses, parents, grandparents and the friend who apparently owns enough ribbon to open a store.

There are school colors to coordinate, names to fit, ribbons to choose, charms to find and approximately 47 opportunities for hot glue to become involved.

Don’t ask how much ribbon. Just admire the craftsmanship.

Homecoming 2026 Around Our Area

If you’re trying to keep up with all the festivities, here’s the 2026 homecoming rundown for Northwest ISD, Argyle, Krum and Ponder.

Northwest ISD

Northwest ISD has three high schools celebrating homecoming this fall: Eaton, Northwest and Byron Nelson.

Eaton High School

Wednesday, Sept. 9
Homecoming Parade — 6:30 p.m.

The parade begins and ends in the west, or academy, parking lot and travels through the Wellington neighborhood. A community pep rally and homecoming crowning ceremony follow.

Friday, Sept. 11
Homecoming Game — 7 p.m.
Northwest ISD Stadium

Eaton takes on Prosper Rock Hill, with the homecoming king and queen recognized before the game.

Saturday, Sept. 12
Homecoming Dance — 7–10 p.m.
Eaton Student Union

Eaton High School: 1350 Eagle Boulevard, Haslet.

Northwest High School

Wednesday, Sept. 23
Homecoming Parade — 6:15 p.m.

The parade begins east of campus, travels along Texas Drive and ends at Northwest ISD Stadium.

A community pep rally follows, wrapping up with fireworks.

Friday, Sept. 25
Homecoming Game — 7 p.m.
Northwest ISD Stadium

Northwest takes on Keller Timber Creek, with the homecoming king and queen crowned at halftime.

Northwest High School: 2301 Texan Drive, Justin.

So yes, Justin gets a homecoming parade — and fireworks — right in our backyard.

Byron Nelson High School

Wednesday, Oct. 21
Homecoming Parade

Friday, Oct. 23
Homecoming Game — 7 p.m.
Northwest ISD Stadium

Byron Nelson takes on Southlake Carroll, with the homecoming king and queen crowned before the game.

Additional Byron Nelson homecoming details are still being finalized, so we’re leaving those off until they’re officially announced.

And that’s how we’re handling all of these schedules. If the school hasn’t announced it, we’re not guessing.

Argyle ISD

Argyle’s 2026 Homecoming Parade & Carnival is set for:

Wednesday, Sept. 23 5:30–8 p.m.
Argyle High School — Canyon Falls

There’s also an interesting change this year.

Argyle ISD says parade float participation has been changed because of safety concerns identified by the Argyle ISD Police Department.

Floats are limited to Argyle ISD high school, middle school and district-level groups.

Elementary campus groups and outside community organizations, associations and businesses can still participate — but they’ll participate as walkers rather than with floats.

The Argyle High School calendar also lists:

Sept. 25 — Homecoming

Sept. 26 — Homecoming Dance

Specific public times for those events weren’t listed in the information we found, so we’re leaving them off rather than guessing.

Argyle High School: 6601 Canyon Falls Drive, Flower Mound.

Krum ISD

Krum has a full homecoming lineup.

Sunday, Sept. 13
Homecoming Parade — 6:30–7:30 p.m.

Thursday, Sept. 17
Homecoming Pep Rally — 10:30–11 a.m.

Friday, Sept. 18
Homecoming Game vs. Eagle Mountain — 7–9:30 p.m.
Bobcat Stadium

Saturday, Sept. 19
Homecoming Dance — 7–10 p.m.
Krum High School PAC Foyer

Krum High School: 700 Bobcat Blvd., Krum
Bobcat Stadium: 400 Bobcat Blvd., Krum

Ponder

And Ponder isn’t waiting around.

The 6th Annual Ponder Homecoming Parade is: Wednesday, Sept. 9 6 p.m.

There is also a traffic heads-up for anyone traveling through town.

Parade-related traffic impacts are expected beginning around 5 p.m., so if you’re passing through Ponder that afternoon, give yourself some extra time or consider another route.

But if you’re not in a hurry…

Go watch!

Bring the kids and a bag or bucket because there will be plenty of candy and goodies along the parade route.

And, of course, plenty of Lion pride.

Ponder High School: 500 W. Bailey Street, Ponder.

We’re still watching for additional 2026 Ponder homecoming dates and will add them when they’re officially announced. We’re not carrying over last year’s football game or dance dates because those were 2025 dates.

The Texas Homecoming Starter Pack

So, if you’re new to all of this, here’s the unofficial guide:

Football? Absolutely.

Parade? Usually.

Pep rally? Of course.

Dance? Yep.

School spirit? That’s the whole point.

Mum? You better believe it.

Garter? Yep.

Enough ribbon to cover a small living room? Apparently.

And if you see a student walking by wearing something that appears to contain an entire craft store, don’t panic.

She’s from Texas. I can tell it by her mum.

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The Bottom Line

Homecoming is one of those traditions that can look a little different from school to school, but the idea is pretty much the same.

It’s a reason to celebrate your school.

It’s a reason for alumni to come back.

It’s a reason for families to spend an evening together in the stands.

It’s a reason for the community to show up.

And it’s a reason for an otherwise perfectly normal teenager to walk into a football stadium wearing approximately 14 pounds of ribbon.

Around here, that’s school spirit.

So keep an eye out for the mums, the garters, the decorated cars, the parades, the school colors and all that wonderfully over-the-top creativity.

Because in Texas, we don’t just have homecoming. We make a whole thing out of it.

And that’s kind of the fun.

She’s from Texas. I can tell it by her mum.