---
title: "Homecoming 2026: Short Yet Spirited"
date: 2026-10-19T05:30:00-04:00
author: University of Maryland
canonical_url: "https://today.umd.edu/homecoming-2026-short-yet-spirited"
section: Articles
---
# Homecoming 2026: Short Yet Spirited

*October 19, 2026* — by [Maryland Today Staff](/author/maryland-today-staff)


> Terps turn out for tailgates, talent shows and traditions in a condensed celebration.

*Students attend Terp Carnival in the Stamp Student Union as part of Homecoming Week 2026 activities on October 16, 2026

Photo by Dylan Singleton/University of Maryland — Despite a predicted rainstorm moving Terp Carnival into the Adele H. Stamp Student Union on Friday afternoon, students still showed up to celebrate Homecoming Week. Highlights included performances by the University of Maryland Steelbands, Gymkana and the Mighty Sound of Maryland entertained the crowds. (Photo by Dylan Singleton)*

<span>With Fall Break sweeping away a few days of Homecoming Week like leaves in the wind, Terps had no choice: From open houses to open mics, they amped up their school spirit for four days instead. </span>

<span>The University of Maryland squeezed in over 20 events, with top attractions including Sal Vulcano ("Impractical Jokers") and Josh Johnson ("The Daily Show") and headlining SEE's Comedy Show, the National Pan-Hellenic Council’s Step Show and Terp Carnival. Others ran the gamut from a food truck festival to a flu shot clinic. </span>

<span>The carnival was pushed inside by a forecasted rainstorm, but students packed the Adele H. Stamp Student Union's Grand Ballroom to meet the grand marshal, former NFL star Vernon Davis '07, get a free scoop of ice cream blended in his honor, and take home this year's Homecoming scarf.</span>

<span>The weather dried out on Saturday morning in time for the Alumni Association's massive Alumni Homecoming Beer Garden and Tailgate and many other celebrations hosted by schools and colleges, alumni groups, fraternities and sororities, and alums and families with Terp spirit to spare. </span>

<span>Terps wore red and filled the student section at the football game against Rutgers, but Maryland fell to the Scarlet Knights, 37-30.</span>


*Three people in Maryland gear pose for a photo against a black background — Sam Virk ’29 (left) and Erin Cooley ’29 were among the hundreds of Terps who lined up to pose for a photo with Homecoming Grand Marshal Vernon Davis ’07 at Terp Carnival on Friday. He sported a limited-edition 2026 Homecoming scarf. (Photo by Dylan Singleton)*


*Four women in black costumes dance energetically on a stage. — The Nyumburu Cultural Center’s annual Homecoming Juke Joint on Wednesday showcased dance, singing and spoken word performances. (Photo by Lauren Epstein ‘29)*


*Memorial Chapel illuminated with red lights to celebrate Homecoming Week — Memorial Chapel glows red, one of numerous campus buildings lit up in celebration of Homecoming Week. (Photo by Lauren Epstein ‘29)*


*A man in a gray sweatshirt and faded jeans holds a mic and speaks from a stage. — Standup comic Josh Johnson, best known as a writer and host of “The Daily Show,” co-headlined Student Entertainment Events’ annual Homecoming Comedy Show on Thursday with Sal Vulcano, a creator and star of “Impractical Jokers.” (Photo by Lauren Epstein ’29)*


*Numerous people pet sheep and goats in front of a red barn — To ensure a goat gets a good back rub, Jonathan Long ’28 uses both hands during Hug a Sheep &amp;amp; Goat Day at the Campus Farm. (Photo by Lauren Epstein ‘29)*


*A woman gets her face painted by another woman — Laura McHugh ’85 gets an M painted on her face at the annual Alumni Homecoming Beer Garden and Tailgate, sponsored by the Alumni Association at the Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center. It highlighted Terp-owned breweries and included food, music and lawn games. (Photo by Stephanie S. Cordle)*


*A girl and her dad play a Connect 4 game on an indoor football practice feel with a painted sign in the background that says Maryland. — Sophie Williams, 12 (left), faces off in giant Connect Four with her dad, former Maryland football standout and nine-year NFL veteran Madieu Williams ’03, at Terpsville Fan Fest in Jones-Hill House on Saturday. (Photo by Stephanie S. Cordle)*


*A Maryland cheerleader is tossed in the air. — A Terp cheerleader soars in front of a student section drenched in Maryland red at Saturday’s game against the Rutgers Scarlet Nights. (Photo by Mackenzie Miles/Maryland Terrapins)*


*A man plays bass guitar in a stadium — The Washington, D.C., band Rare Essence performs with the Mighty Sound of Maryland and its alumni band for a halftime celebration of 50 Years of Go-Go. Rare Essence helped pioneer the rhythm-driven style that arose in the District in the mid-1970s. Watch the full show on the marching band’s [Facebook page](https://www.facebook.com/MightySoundofMD/videos/1533153022221030). (Photo by Dylan Davies/Maryland Terrapins)*


*A football player in a red uniform with the number 13 runs with the ball while a defender in a white uniform with the number 5 attempts to pursue him on the field. — Maryland wide Receiver Chris Durr Jr. (13) turns a reception into a score Saturday against Rutgers. After mounting a fourth-quarter comeback, the Terps came within inches of a game-tying touchdown, but an out-of-bounds call resulted in a 37-30 Rutgers victory. (Photo Austin DeSisto/Maryland Terrapins)*




**Topics:** [Campus &amp; Community](https://today.umd.edu/tags/campus-community)


**Tags:** [Homecoming](https://today.umd.edu/topic/homecoming), [Student Experience](https://today.umd.edu/topic/student-experience)


**Units:** [Department of Intercollegiate Athletics](https://today.umd.edu/topic/department-intercollegiate-athletics), [Alumni Association](https://today.umd.edu/topic/alumni-association), [Division of Student Affairs](https://today.umd.edu/topic/division-student-affairs), [Student Entertainment Events (SEE)](https://today.umd.edu/topic/student-entertainment-events-see), [Nyumburu Cultural Center](https://today.umd.edu/topic/nyumburu-cultural-center-0)