Community’s annual Homecoming Week will take place from Sunday, Oct. 12 through Saturday, Oct. 18, featuring a full slate of student events, spirit days, competitions and a formal dance.

Sunday kickoff: Powderpuff football

Homecoming Week kicks-off Sunday, Oct. 12 with the annual Powderpuff football tournament at Dick Tharp Field.

Gates open at 3 p.m., and games begin at 4 p.m.

Junior and senior teams will compete in same-grade qualifying rounds before facing off in the championship.

Spirit Week themes

Students will celebrate Spirit Week from Oct. 13–17, with themed dress-up days throughout the week:

• Monday: Pajama Day (non-attendance day)
• Tuesday: Twin Day
• Wednesday: Once Upon a Look Day (animated or themed outfits)
• Thursday: Rhyme Without Reason Day (costume pairs with rhyming themes)
• Friday: Freaky Friday (student-teacher dress swap)

Student events throughout the week

Drive-In Movie Night—Tuesday, Oct. 14

Student Council will host a drive-in movie night from 6–9 p.m, screening the move “Tangled” starting at 7 p.m.

Concessions will be available for purchase from 6:30–8:30 p.m.

Pickleball Tournament—Wednesday, Oct. 15

A schoolwide pickleball tournament will take place in the West Gym starting at 6:30 p.m.

After last year’s planned volleyball tournament was canceled because of low participation, organizers pivoted to pickleball—a change that has drawn significant interest, with over 20 teams registered for this year’s event.

Students will compete in pairs in a single-elimination bracket, with the winning duo earning a place on the Homecoming Parade Champions Float on Friday. 

Trivia Night—Thursday, Oct. 16

The second annual Homecoming Trivia Night, hosted by Mr. Mike Roller, will be held Thursday, Oct. 16, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. in the cafeteria.

The event serves as a fundraiser for Student Council and the Junior Class Board, inviting teams of three to six participants to compete in a night of friendly competition.

The top three teams will earn cash prizes donated to their sponsoring group: $100 for first place and $50 each for second and third.

Entry is $20 per team, with additional teams from the same group $10 each; staff may also form departmental teams.

Trivia begins at 7 p.m.

Friday festivities & Competitions—Oct. 17

Friday, Oct. 17 will feature a full schedule of events leading into the parade. 

Homecoming Assembly

Community will run two Homecoming pep assemblies featuring live music, student-staff games, performances and Homecoming Court introductions.

The first assembly begins at 8:30 a.m. with the second starting at 9:30. Each assembly will feature performances by the band and choir; introductions of pickleball and trivia winners, the homecoming parade marshal and the StuCo board; and recognition of the fall athletics programs.

A student vs. staff “pizza box Hunger Games” contest will follow before preformances by the cheer and dance teams.

The program continues with Homecoming Court introductions and a dizzy relay race, before closing with a send-off from the football captain and a performance of the school song.

Find-the-Chameleons Contest

Students can earn a ride on the Champions Float by finding the most camouflaged chameleons during a campus-wide scavenger hunt Oct. 17.

Twenty numbered chameleons—a nod to Homecoming’s “Tangled” theme—will be hidden around the building by Student Council and class board members. The hunt begins at 8 a.m. and runs until the start of sixth hour, when participants must report to the main office for verification.

Student Council and class board sponsors will confirm totals and announce the top three students.

Door Decorating Contest

Community will bring back its Homecoming door decorating contest during Homecoming Week, with judging by Student Council and class board sponsors on Oct. 17.

Classes can decorate their classroom doors during a scheduled class period during the week with the winning door earning a $25 gift card for the class, a prize intended for class treats.

Students interested in participating should check with their teachers.

Parade and Champions Float

The Homecoming Parade—returning last fall after a multi-year absence—will mark its second consecutive year on Friday, Oct. 17.

The parade will begin at 2:20 p.m., running along Raab Road to Eastview Church. Parade float judging will occur prior to the start, with the winning float leading the procession alongside the Parade Marshal and Officer Flood.

Winners from the week’s events—including Powderpuff, pickleball, trivia, tug of war, the chameleon hunt and the door decorating contest—will ride on the Champions Float..

The parade will conclude by 3:30 p.m. and will not be rescheduled in the event of poor weather.

Football

The Ironmen will host the Champaign Centennial Chargers in a Big 12 matchup Friday night at Dick Tharp Field. The contest will feature a halftime performance by the award-winning Normal Marching Band.

The game will be broadcast by the Inkspot, with coverage starting at 6:40 p.m.

“A Night of Dreams” Homecoming Dance

Homecoming Week will conclude with the 2025 Homecoming Dance, themed “A Night of Dreams,” held Saturday, Oct. 18 in the East Gym.

The dance will continue to run in two sessions: the first from 6 to 8 p.m., and the second from 8:30 to 10:30 p.m. Community began holding two Homecoming dance sessions in 2021, a change first prompted by COVID-19 restrictions and later made permanent after 2019’s overcrowded dance created safety and capacity issues

The split format, Senior Class Board sponsor Mrs. Jennifer Kelly said, allows more students and guests to attend while creating a safer, more enjoyable experience

All students must present a school ID to enter. Non-Community guests must bring a photo ID, and have guest request forms approved prior to purchasing tickets.

Friday, Oct. 10, is the final day to purchase tickets, which will not be sold at the door on the night of the dance.