Homecoming is approaching quickly on October 22. This year’s tickets are $50 for singles and $90 for couples, a steep increase from last year’s. However, you can significantly decrease the cost by taking advantage of reduced-price tickets and being creative with your outfit.
Many may not know that M-A offers discounted and free tickets. Interested students can go to the student support center in B-20, which helps students get tickets to Leadership events, including homecoming, for a lower price.
This year’s homecoming is much pricier than last year’s because this year’s dance will take place in Downtown Redwood City’s Fox Theater. Last year, the price was only $20 for singles and $35 for couples, whereas this year, tickets cost $30 and $65 more, respectively. Leadership teacher Michael Amoroso said, “The reason for the vast difference in pricing this year compared to last is the $12,000 rental fee of the Fox Theater.”
Some students understand why the event is costly and still want to attend, while others are upset by the price. Junior Hiviana Jones Reed said, “I don’t mind the price, it makes sense why it’s higher than last year’s since this year it’s going to be at the Fox Theater.” However, Freshman Hailey Hintze said, “I think it’s a lot of money for just one event.”
In addition to the cost of the dance itself, buying homecoming outfits can also be costly. That said, websites like Poshmark and Depop can help you find cute, barely-used dresses for under $30 that fit this year’s theme, Midnight Masquerade. Such websites are much more reasonably priced than popular websites like Lulu’s and Lucy in the Sky, where homecoming dresses range from $60-100. Another option to find cute outfits for cheap is thrifting.
Lucy Simon, a senior at Cañada Middle College, says, “I’ve thrifted multiple dresses: three prom dresses and one homecoming dress. My homecoming dress, which I got at Savers in Redwood City, was only $6.” Simon got her prom dresses from Goodwill in San Mateo and the Thrift Center in San Carlos for under $20 each. She said, “I wanted to thrift my dress because last year I spent so much money on my prom dress and I felt guilty that my parents had to spend that much money on an outfit. I also really like vintage clothing, so buying a 90’s dress was my dream.” Her advice to thrifters looking for outfits for homecoming is to “Be persistent and keep looking. Eventually, you will find a gorgeous dress. It’s a great way to find unique clothes for a really cheap price.”
Sophomore Bethany Hyde said, “I thrifted my homecoming outfit at Savers in Redwood City, and it cost me only $15. I bought dress pants, a dress shirt and a suit vest. I decided to thrift my outfit because it is a lot of fun and I wanted something more fun and fancy for this year’s theme. To me, thrifting is like a treasure hunt. I know a lot of people may be turned off by it, but all the items are very clean and you can find some real gems. Although there aren’t many thrift stores in Menlo Park, there are a handful in Redwood City and San Carlos.”
