Rhinelander High School will celebrate Homecoming 2026 under the theme "GLOW-CO" with a weeklong run of events, beginning with a bonfire Sunday, Oct. 4, and ending with the Homecoming Dance on Saturday, Oct. 10.
The theme name blends "glow" with "HoCo," a popular student shorthand for homecoming, and points to a neon, glow-in-the-dark look. That look carries into the week's Neon dress-up day on Thursday. The centerpiece of the week falls on Friday, Oct. 9, when the Homecoming Parade winds through downtown Rhinelander at 4 p.m., followed by the Hodags' Homecoming football game against the Wausau East Lumberjacks at 7 p.m. at Mike Webster Stadium.
Rhinelander carries a 4-2 overall record and a 2-2 conference mark into the game. The parade will travel south to north on Brown Street, then turn left onto Rives Street to exit.
The week begins with a bonfire at 7:15 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 4, at the Hodag Park Beach parking area.
Class competitions follow. The Powderpuff Games are set for 6:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 5, at Mike Webster Stadium, with freshmen facing sophomores and juniors taking on seniors.
Spike Volleyball takes place at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7, at the Jim Miazga Community Gymnasium. Freshmen will play seniors and sophomores will play juniors, with the winners meeting in a championship game.
Students will also mark the week with daily dress-up themes: Minion Monday; Rhyme Without a Reason on Tuesday, when students and a partner dress as things that rhyme; Camo on Wednesday; Neon on Thursday; and Hodag Spirit on Friday.
On Friday, a pep rally is scheduled from 2 to 3:20 p.m. at the Jim Miazga Community Gymnasium.
Saturday, Oct. 10, opens with the RHS Band Marching Showcase from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Mike Webster Stadium.
The week closes with the Homecoming Dance from 7 to 11 p.m. at the Jim Miazga Community Gymnasium. Students must bring their paper ticket to enter. The Grand March begins at 10 p.m., and parents may enter through Door 19 starting at 9:50 p.m.
Dance tickets are sold during lunch. Tickets cost $15 through Thursday, Oct. 1, and $20 from Oct. 5 through Oct. 9.
Several other Hodag teams are in action during Homecoming Week. On Monday, girls tennis competes at D.C. Everest from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and JV football hosts Merrill at 4:30 p.m. On Tuesday, boys and girls cross country run at Eagle River at 4 p.m., boys soccer plays at Medford (JV 5 p.m., varsity 7 p.m.), and girls volleyball hosts Medford (JV2 5 p.m., JV 5:30 p.m., varsity 7 p.m.). Girls tennis plays at Lakeland from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday.
Thursday's schedule includes JV2 girls volleyball at SPASH at 4 p.m., girls swimming at home against Mosinee at 5:30 p.m., JV2 football at Wausau East at 5:30 p.m., and boys soccer at home against Merrill (JV 5 p.m., varsity 7 p.m.). On Saturday, boys and girls cross country compete at Tomahawk and girls volleyball plays at Mosinee, both at 10 a.m.
Homecoming Week at a glance
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