Homecoming celebration
Tailgating is one of the ways SMSU fans come together at homecoming
Photo by Deb Gau Heather Rickgarn got a pie in the face at one of the booths set up around the homecoming tailgating area at SMSU on Saturday. The pie booth was a fundraiser for SMSU's chapter of Collegiate Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA). The money raised will help DECA members attend competitive events.
Photo by Deb Gau SMSU Homecoming royalty Mya Firkus and Isaiah Williams joined the parade around campus on Saturday afternoon.
Photo by Mike Lamb Members of Junk FM performed for Homecoming celebrations on Third Street Saturday night.
Photo by Deb Gau An inflatable mustang was one of the floats passing down Birch Street during the homecoming parade.
Photo by Deb Gau Heather Rickgarn got a pie in the face at one of the booths set up around the homecoming tailgating area at SMSU on Saturday. The pie booth was a fundraiser for SMSU's chapter of Collegiate Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA). The money raised will help DECA members attend competitive events.
Photo by Deb Gau SMSU Homecoming royalty Mya Firkus and Isaiah Williams joined the parade around campus on Saturday afternoon.
Photo by Mike Lamb Members of Junk FM performed for Homecoming celebrations on Third Street Saturday night.
Photo by Deb Gau An inflatable mustang was one of the floats passing down Birch Street during the homecoming parade.
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MARSHALL - There was plenty of Mustang spirit on display at the campus of Southwest Minnesota State University over the weekend. Homecoming celebrations included a parade around campus, tailgate parties and family activities before Saturday's Mustang football game, and a live concert to wrap up Saturday night.
Coming out to enjoy the tailgating atmosphere was a big part of the fun for Mustang fans.
"We're here every home game," Grant Renderman said. Renderman was part of a group of family and friends of SMSU football players looking forward to the homecoming game.
"I like seeing new faces every time," said Gianna Pitt, another of the tailgaters gathered Saturday.
Events like homecoming brought out a lot of people, she said.
Awnings, grills and circles of lawn chairs were set up around the parking lot across from Mattke Field. Some families of football players had their own posters and t-shirts to show support for the players.
Jeet Sausen, associate director of the office of diversity and inclusion at SMSU, had helped set up one of the more elaborate tailgate spaces Saturday. Under an awning, a row of cushioned folding chairs sat in front of a TV where people could keep an eye on other football games going on that day.
Sausen said that kind of intense tailgating culture was something her family experienced when she worked at Penn State earlier in her career.
"Every Saturday, it's football all over," she said. When the family moved to Minnesota, "We brought the culture," Sausen said.
For the past few years, SMSU community members have met up at homecoming to enjoy food and cheer on their team, she said.
Sausen and Lindsey Larson said it was nice to have a tailgating area set up on the SMSU campus. Besides groups of tailgaters, there were also games and food vendors set up in the parking lot.
Of course, supporting the Mustangs was a big part of the festivities. As the SMSU football players and coaches walked down to the field before the game, fans and family members formed a line to cheer for them. Manny Viramontes stepped forward to give his son Julian Viramontes a high five.
"We come out here to support him," Manny Viramontes said.
For homecoming, Julian's family and friends traveled to Marshall from California, to spend the weekend.
"We love it," Viramontes said.