Mineola students and residents celebrated homecoming last week with dress-up days, a community pep rally, a downtown parade and a Yellowjacket football victory.

Students across Mineola ISD participated in activities throughout the week, with each campus planning its own dress-up themes. With Monday off for fall break, celebrations began Tuesday.

At Mineola Primary School, students wore their favorite team jerseys for “Team Up to Beat the Wildcats” Tuesday, followed by “Colors Collide, Jackets Unite” Wednesday and “Tame the Wildcats” camouflage or animal print Thursday.

Mineola Intermediate School celebrated with team jerseys Tuesday, pajama day Wednesday and animal print or camouflage Thursday. Mineola Middle School students participated in Jersey Day Tuesday, Neon Color Day Wednesday and Animal Print Thursday.

At Mineola High School, students joined in with Adam Sandler Day Tuesday, Wig Out Wednesday and Decade Day Thursday.

All campuses participated in Orange Out Friday, with students and staff wearing orange to support the Yellowjackets.

The district held a community pep rally Friday, Oct. 16, at 9:30 a.m. at Meredith Memorial Stadium. Students from across the district attended, and Mineola’s cheer teams performed.

Students were released early Friday for the 3 p.m. homecoming parade through downtown Mineola. Floats and participants traveled along East Broad Street, beginning near Dollar General and continuing past Dairy Queen as spectators lined the route.

The parade included school groups, local organizations and community members. Participants included the Sound of the Swarm Mineola Band; Mineola High School varsity football and cheerleading teams; Mayor Jayne Lankford; Mineola Youth Cheer and Football; Crown Security; Zachary Palacios and Dawson Williams; Flower Girl; Andrea Rivas; and the homecoming king and queen nominees.

Nominee pairs included River Strange and Kaitlyn McMahon, Miles Potts and Carol Brena, Grayson Dupont and Julieann Coats, Daysen Cook and Jarexi Delgadillo, and Layne McLemore and Skylynn Mason. The parade also recognized class royalty, including freshman duke Tripp Goodson and duchess Kinsler Bowker, sophomore duke Carson Sullivan and duchess Claire Potts, and junior duke Francisco Anaya and duchess Haylee Nicholson.

Other participants included the Mineola Lady Jackets volleyball team, Mineola High School fishing team, MHS HVAC class, Mineola Middle School football and cheer teams, Hays Waste Removal, and MHS junior varsity football and cheer teams.

Friday night’s homecoming game against Rains also marked the 10th anniversary of Mineola’s 2016 state championship football team. The Yellowjackets led Rains 35-13 at halftime.

During halftime festivities, Jarexi Delgadillo and Daysen Cook were crowned homecoming queen and king, respectively. Mineola went on to defeat Rains 56-33. The Yellowjackets will travel to Commerce Friday, Oct. 23, for their next district game.