Homecoming Flowers: A Beautiful Tradition Then and Now

Football lights. Friday night crowds. A favorite dress hanging on the door. The excitement of the first big dance of the school year—and, of course, flowers.

There is something wonderfully nostalgic about Homecoming.

For generations, flowers have been part of the celebration, whether tucked into a corsage, pinned to a lapel, carried in a bouquet, or worn as part of an elaborate school-spirit tradition. And while the flowers may have changed—and the way young people wear them certainly has—the sentiment behind them hasn't.

Homecoming is still about marking a moment.

And for parents, especially, it can be one of those bittersweet milestones when you realize your child is growing up much faster than you thought.

Baylor Homecoming Queen Ann Davis, 1964. Photo courtesy of https://mumtasticspirit.com/the-history-of-homecoming/

A Little Homecoming History

The Homecoming tradition itself grew out of the football culture of American colleges in the early 20th century. The University of Missouri traces its Homecoming tradition to 1911, when athletic director Chester Brewer invited alumni to “come home” for the Missouri-Kansas football game. More than 9,000 people attended, and the celebration included a football game, pep rally, parade and bonfire.

There is some historical debate over which university can truly claim the first Homecoming—the University of Illinois and other schools have earlier versions of events that resemble it—but Missouri's 1911 celebration is widely recognized as an important early model for the modern tradition.

Eventually, Homecoming made its way into high schools, bringing with it the football game, school spirit, dances, royalty, parades and, naturally, flowers.

And Then There Were the Flowers

The original Homecoming flower tradition was surprisingly simple.

The chrysanthemum, or “mum,” was a natural choice because it is a hardy fall flower and was readily available during Homecoming season. Early Homecoming mums were essentially fresh chrysanthemum corsages, often given by a date for the girl to wear to the football game or dance.

Over time, that simple corsage evolved dramatically in some parts of the country.

Texas, in particular, developed the now-famous Homecoming mum—an elaborate arrangement of ribbons, school colors, charms, names, class years and decorations. What began as a flower eventually became almost a wearable scrapbook of high school life.

And that's one of the fascinating things about Homecoming flowers: the tradition didn't disappear. It evolved.

My aunt, Beth Lawrence, was crowned Homecoming Queen in the early 1970s.

Homecoming Then: A Family Memory

Here is a photo of my aunt, as Homecoming Queen.

There she is, sitting on the back of a convertible, with a giant Mum corsage, surrounded by a packed stadium. Her date is kissing her cheek, the crowd is watching, and for one little moment, you can almost imagine the noise of the football field around them.

Homecoming looked a little different then.

The flowers were pinned. The dresses were suits. The cars were longer. And there were certainly no phones in everyone's hands capturing every moment.

But the excitement?

That part feels remarkably familiar.

Homecoming Flowers Today

Today, there isn't one single definition of a Homecoming flower.

And that's what makes the tradition fun.

The classic wrist corsage and boutonniere are still popular in some areas of the country, but today's students have more choices. Floral designers are creating handheld bouquets, pocket boutonnieres, floral rings, flower crowns, and other small wearable arrangements.

Some recent floral trends have even moved toward small handheld bouquets, offering an alternative to the traditional wrist corsage.

And I think there's something especially beautiful about that change.

Instead of flowers being something prescribed by tradition, they can become an extension of personal style.

A bouquet can coordinate with the dress.

A boutonniere can echo the flowers in a date's corsage.

A few beautiful blooms can feel more natural and garden-inspired than a heavily constructed arrangement or an oversized mum.

And for the student who doesn't want a traditional corsage at all?

That's perfectly fine too.

What About the Flowers Growing Right Here in Bucks County?

Because Homecoming happens at one of the most beautiful times of the year for flowers in Pennsylvania.

September and October are prime months for dahlias, according to Penn State Extension, making them particularly well suited to late-summer and early-fall floral arrangements.

And Bucks County has local flower growers producing seasonal blooms during exactly this window.

That means a Homecoming bouquet doesn't have to look like something ordered from a catalog.

Imagine instead:

Dinner-plate dahlias.
Soft blush blooms.
Deep burgundy.
Creamy whites.
Bright oranges.
Golden autumn tones.
A little greenery.

Flowers that actually look like September in Bucks County.

That's a very different—and very beautiful—way to think about Homecoming flowers.

A New Kind of Homecoming Bouquet

Over the years at Studio Sprig, I've created a handful of Homecoming floral bouquets. Not nearly as many as the prom bouquets I've made, but enough to remind me just how special these little arrangements can be.

Homecoming flowers don't have to be elaborate, but I think they should still be memorable. Personally, and because there is such a gorgeous abundance, I like to create stunning combinations of flowers, herbs and greenery for my homecoming bouquets.

Because They'll Remember the Flowers

Someday, your daughter may not remember exactly what she wore to Homecoming.

She may not remember which song played first at the dance or who won the football game.

But she might remember how it felt to get ready.

Her friends arriving at the door.

The photo op in her best friend’s backyard.

The excitement in the car on the way to the game.

The flowers someone handed her.

And you standing there, taking one more photograph before she went on her way.

That's the beautiful thing about traditions: they don't have to remain the same to remain meaningful.

Sometimes, all they need is a few flowers—and someone who understands how special the moment is.

Lambertville’s Halloween Magic: A Funky, Creative Rivertown Comes Alive

Photo by John Arehart

A little spooky, a little strange, and wonderfully artistic — why Lambertville is one of my favorite places to visit at Halloween.

If you think Halloween is all plastic skeletons, inflatable pumpkins, and a fog machine or two, you haven't experienced Lambertville, New Jersey in October.

The Whole Town Gets Into the Halloween Spirit

I highly recommend crossing the Delaware from New Hope and exploring this wonderfully funky little river town during Halloween season.

I've lived in this region for years, and somehow I didn't discover Lambertville's elaborate Halloween displays until a few years ago. Once I did, I couldn't believe I had been missing them.

There is something about Lambertville in October. The historic Victorian homes, enormous old trees, winding streets, and artistic community make the perfect backdrop for Halloween. And the displays aren't your typical pumpkins-and-plastic-skeletons variety.

They're imaginative. They're theatrical. They're sometimes downright bizarre.

And I love them.

A Halloween Tour of Union Street

My introduction to Lambertville's Halloween magic came when my husband, Michael, and I were taken on a private little Halloween tour by our friends Stacy and Bill. They had been strolling around Lambertville — particularly Union Street — for years during Halloween season and couldn't wait to show us what we had been missing.

We were so glad they did.

Almost every house along Union Street seemed to have its own wonderfully creepy interpretation of Halloween.

One house was projecting Edward Scissorhands onto its front porch, while other Victorian homes had sinister, red-eyed ghosts and goblins peering from their upper windows.

We found the Friendly Witch House, massive trees filled with flying ghosts, and all sorts of clever, unexpected displays tucked into gardens, porches and windows.

And then there was the upside-down stripper skeleton dangling from a pole.

Yes. You read that correctly.

It was weird. It was hilarious. And somehow it fit perfectly into the wonderfully eccentric Halloween landscape of Lambertville.

Walking from house to house, I kept thinking how unusual it was to see so much creativity concentrated along one street. Every display seemed to have its own personality, and you never quite knew what you were going to discover around the next corner.

Lambertville is definitely spookier-than-average at Halloween — and it's also one of the most artistically inspiring rivertowns I know.

The Halloween House

And then there's Dolores Dragan.

For more than 20 years, visitors flocked to North Union Street to see what became known as The Halloween House, the extraordinary annual display created by Lambertville artist and retired art teacher Dolores Dragan.

Dolores began creating her fantastical figures in 1998 while she was still teaching art at Lambertville School. What began as a theater project for children grew into an elaborate Halloween tradition that attracted visitors from far beyond Lambertville.

Her hand-crafted figures were unlike ordinary Halloween decorations. Ethereal, theatrical, slightly macabre and wonderfully expressive, they felt more like characters from a strange little dream than store-bought decorations.

And when they were illuminated at night, they were absolutely magical.

The original Halloween House became so popular that visitors would line up down the block to see Dolores' sculptures.

Photo by John Arehart

Meet the Memory Maker

What I find most wonderful about Dolores' story is that she wasn't simply decorating her house for Halloween.

She was making memories.

After retiring from teaching, Dolores embraced what she called the role of a “Memory Maker.” Her idea was to create something children would remember for the rest of their lives.

And she certainly did.

She spent her summers and early fall creating new figures and repairing older ones, building a fantastical cast of characters year after year.

Some of her sculptures are reminiscent of the wonderfully strange characters you might find in a Tim Burton film. But Dolores has said that her figures loosely represent people in her own life.

In other words, this wasn't just a Halloween display.

It was her own little world — a collection of characters gathered together once a year to “spook out” Lambertville.

Photo by John Arehart

From One House to a Trail of Magic

The original Halloween House has now evolved into something much bigger.

After decades of the labor-intensive work of creating and installing the display at her home, Dolores invited the Lambertville Creative Arts Fund to help carry her work into a new chapter.

In 2025, her creations became part of the Memory Maker's Trail of Magic, a month-long Halloween celebration that brings Dolores' artwork beyond a single house and into Lambertville's business district.

And in 2026, the tradition continues.

From October 1 through October 31, Dolores' whimsical and eerie creations will be displayed throughout Lambertville's business district, appearing in shopfronts and community spaces. The Trail is free and self-guided, making it easy to wander through town and discover the artwork along the way.

I love that the tradition has grown this way.

Photo by John Arehart

What began with one artist creating an extraordinary Halloween world at her home has become a community-wide celebration of art, imagination and memory.

Instead of visiting just one house, you can now wander through Lambertville and encounter Dolores' characters throughout the town.

It turns Halloween into a treasure hunt.

The Magic Is in the Details

That's what I remember most about my first Halloween tour of Lambertville.

It wasn't just one spectacular display.

It was the accumulation of all the little surprises.

A ghost appearing in an upstairs window.

A movie playing across a porch.

A tree suddenly filled with flying spirits.

A witch waiting outside a house.

A skeleton doing something you absolutely weren't expecting a skeleton to be doing.

Every few steps brought another discovery. And because Lambertville is filled with historic architecture, old trees and wonderfully individualistic homes, the setting itself becomes part of the experience. It's almost as though the entire town becomes a stage.

Make a Night of It

If you're coming from Bucks County or New Hope, Lambertville makes a wonderful fall outing.

Cross the bridge, park downtown, and give yourself plenty of time to wander.

Explore the Memory Maker's Trail of Magic, browse the shops, visit the galleries, stop for a drink or dinner, and simply enjoy the atmosphere.

The Trail of Magic is free and self-guided throughout October, so there's no need to rush.

And bring your camera.

Between the Halloween installations, Lambertville's historic architecture, the eccentric, theatrical costumes that blur the line between costume and art, and all of the autumn color, there is plenty to photograph.

Explore the Memory Maker's Trail of Magic →

Why I Love Lambertville at Halloween

I think what makes Lambertville so special at Halloween is that it doesn't feel manufactured.

It's creative.

It's personal.

It's a little weird.

And it's clearly made by people who enjoy making something memorable for other people.

That's my favorite kind of Halloween.

Not necessarily the scariest.

Not necessarily the biggest.

But imaginative, handmade, unexpected and a little bit magical.

So this October, grab someone you love, cross the Delaware and take a walk through Lambertville.

Look up. Look in the windows. Look into the trees.

And definitely look around the next corner. You never know what you'll find.

🎃 Happy haunting!

— Kim