Annual Alto Community Homecoming set for Sept. 20

ALTO – A beloved community event returns to Alto this weekend, designed to celebrate school and community: The 2025 Alto Homecoming Festival.

According to organizers, three dozen vendors have signed up for the event, held on Commerce Street from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and features bounce houses, food trucks and entertainment, along with a 9 a.m. parade and a 7 p.m. street dance.

An alumni tent and photo booth also will be set up there, while at Stella Hill Memorial Library downtown, paintings and photography will be on display by local artists and photographers from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. as part of an “Art on El Camino Real” program. 

The library will host a silent auction through Saturday with projects on display included in the auction.

This year, the Alto Yellowjackets will host the Winona Wildcats during a 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19, Homecoming match at Jacket Stadium.

A 6 p.m. pre-game ceremony includes the introduction of Alto High School’s 2025 homecoming candidates. They include Queen candidates Angelina Lindsey, Mirianna Gomez Phillips, Ne’vaeh Nelson, Emily Weatherford and Maite Hernandez; and king candidates Dakota Wilkerson, Caydin Warren, Anthony Rodriguez and Kheenan Ross. Among this year’s slate of dukes and duchesses are Tierani Mitchell, Lizbeth Tellez, Camil Lofton, Anthony Buckingham, Ra’Shad Lynch, Jabari Moore and Eli Middleton.