Hill City Homecoming returns Sept. 21-25

There’s nothing quite like homecoming week in a small town, and Hill City is gearing up for a week filled with school spirit, dress up days, athletic activities and traditions…and don’t forget the bacon. 

Homecoming week will return to Hill City Sept. 21-25. High School spirit days are as follows: 

• Monday: Slumber party

• Tuesday: Anything but a backpack

• Wednesday: ’80s/’90s neon

• Thursday: Class Color Day—Seniors: black and white, juniors: blue, sophomores: pink, freshmen: red

• Friday: Green and gold day with seniors wearing togas

Festivities will kick off Monday with a chili feed from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., followed by the homecoming coronation in the theatre. 

Chili donations are being sought for the chili feed which serves as fundraiser for the letter club, which provides letters and pins to athletic award recipients. Contact Wade Ginsbach for more information. 

Following the chili feed, the evening will continue in the high school theatre, where the homecoming royalty will take the stage and this year’s king and queen will officially be crowned. 

Tuesday, the volleyball team travels to Lead-Deadwood and Thursday they host Newell while cross country meets at Hart Ranch. 

Friday, the traditional and pep rally will take place at 12:20 p.m., where a plethora of candy is tossed, thrown and dumped onto the entire K-12 student body in attendance. Candy donations can be dropped off in the high school office. 

In keeping with a several year tradition, during the pep-rally, one lucky senior will win two pounds of freshly cooked bacon. 

“This year is going to be epic,” said high school principal Todd Satter. “You’re not going to want to miss it. For the first time ever, the senior that wins the bacon prize will not be drawn out of a hat. I’m just going to leave it at that. You’re going to have to come and see it.”

School will dismiss early at 1 p.m. followed by the homecoming parade beginning at 1:30 p.m. 

Homecoming week wraps up under the Friday night lights as Hill City football hosts Bennett County with kick-off at 6 p.m. 

It’s sure to be a memorable week, one that sticks with students long after graduation. According to a survey of recent graduates, Satter said, “75 percent of them listed homecoming week as their most memorable event of the school year.”

While the week brings plenty of extra activities, the district continues to prioritize academics.

“We do a very good job of preserving academics and having a little bit of fun while we do it,” said superintendent Blake Gardner.