Set Sail for Homecoming in Pirate Nation
Attention all Pirates (and Future Pirates)!
ARRRGH you ready for a week packed with fun, campus activities, skits, prizes and more? Homecoming Week 2024 is about to blast off, and this year’s theme is ECUniverse!
Homecoming Week is a special occasion for everyone connected to East Carolina University. It’s a time to unite, make new friends, and reconnect with old ones. Each year, thousands of Pirates return to Greenville to relive cherished memories and bond over their love for ECU!
This year’s Homecoming Week is packed with excitement from start to finish. It kicks off at noon Monday, October 21 with the Homecoming Kickoff event. Students are encouraged to stop by for food, music, and to gather homecoming goodies for the week. Also on Monday, we’ll have our annual banner competition, where ECU student organizations will showcase their creativity by designing banners that reflect the ECUniverse theme.
To foster campus unity, we’re introducing a new event: the Department Door Decoration Competition! All campus departments can get involved by decorating their office doors or windows to display their ECU spirit. The winner will receive a trophy to proudly display in their office until the next winner is crowned in 2025!
At the heart of Pirate Nation is our strong commitment to public service. In light of Hurricane Helene’s impact on Western North Carolina, we invite all Pirates to embrace our motto of Servire: “to serve.”
Pirate pride in the Boneyard (Photo by ECU Photographers)
Join us for the annual Canned Food Drive at the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina on Tuesday, October 22 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Your donations will provide vital support to those in need.
Prepare to be entertained! Come out on Wednesday, October 23 at 7 p.m. to the Greenville Town Commons Amphitheatre for the return of the much-anticipated Song, Skit and Dance Competition. Enjoy a wide array of space-themed performances from various student organizations!
Thursday, October 24 brings another day of service with Swipe Out Hunger! In collaboration with ECU’s Purple Pantry, Student Government Association and ECU Dining, students with Purple and Gold meal plans can donate meals via the GET Mobile app to help Pirates facing food insecurity. This initiative will ensure students have access to nutritious meals at West End and Todd Dining Halls. Just one swipe can make a big difference in a fellow Pirate’s life!
Every Friday is Paint it Purple Friday at ECU! Show your Pirate pride as we gear up for an exciting football game against Temple University. Kick off the weekend by joining the Greenville community downtown 5:30-8:30 p.m. for Freeboot Friday. This event features a performance you won’t want to miss, along with free giveaways, food trucks, and family-friendly fun!
After an exhilarating night in Downtown Greenville, join us bright and early Saturday morning along 5th Street for the annual ECU Homecoming Parade and Float Competition, leading up to the Homecoming football game at 2 p.m. The parade begins at 9 a.m. and the route stretches from Hilltop Street to Reade Street featuring various groups walking, riding in cars, and on traditional floats. All ECU Alumni are invited to stop by the Taylor-Slaughter Alumni Center during the parade for a photo opportunity with the special alumni edition Pirate statue!
Finally, we’ll wrap up an exciting week with a Paint it Purple game at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium. Picture yourself cheering on Pirate football with over 50,000 fellow fans. It’s going to be fantastic! Don’t miss the special halftime ceremony where we’ll present the Captain of the Ship and the winners of the Homecoming Spirit Cup.
As part of the Homecoming Leadership team, I can assure you that we’ve been hard at work planning this event since January and we’re thrilled for everyone on campus and in the community to join us for the festivities. We hope to see Pirates from the past, present and future throughout the week. Be sure to tag @ecuhomecoming in your photos for a chance to be featured!
We can’t wait to celebrate ECU with you. Go Pirates!