TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — FAMU’s Homecoming weekend is here as thousands of rattlers are expected to “slither” back to Tallahassee and business owners are expecting an influx in business.
- FAMU’s annual Homecoming generates an estimated $6 million in income for the university and Tallahassee.
- The event draws more than 50,000 visitors, leading to more customers and income for local restaurants and hotels.
- Watch the video to hear about the main drivers for this economic impact.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Homecoming week can easily be named one of the largest events at any HBCU.
With Florida A&M University here in Tallahassee, the business impact is especially prominent.
“I mean, Homecoming is the biggest time of the year here in Tallahassee for businesses,” Burgess said.
For Samuel Burgess who’s been part of the event for nearly 10 years, prep begins months out.
As owner of restaurant Pineappétit, Burgess says the week means more food and more cash.
“I can say it's a heavy increase in income around this time frame… just because of the influx and foot traffic. You're having around 50,000 to 80,000 people coming to town at one time,” he said.
So, just how much does one week at Florida A&M University bring in?
ABC 27 talked to FAMU’s Acting Vice President for University Advancement Brandi Tatum-Fedrick, who says the impact is massive.
“We're going to see about a $6 million economic impact, not only for FAMU, but for the city of Tallahassee,” Tatum-Fedrick said. “We are going to see that in our hotels, in our restaurants, in our small businesses.”
About $5.1 million of that came directly from visitors in 2024, according to Visit Tallahassee.
Tatum-Fedrick estimates more than 50,000 visitors will travel to Tallahassee this year.
“We have a big homecoming student government concert… our homecoming game is completely sold out,” she said. “I think that's where we're seeing our biggest drivers in those areas.”
Homecoming at FAMU, according to the university’s website, dates back as early as 1959 with events like a parade, a formal ball, and a football game.
Since then, FAMU has obtained multiple corporate partnerships, hosted star-studded concert headliners, and increased its enrollment.
“I think the brand of FAMU has definitely tripled,” Tatum-Fedrick said.
But the focus rests on welcoming back long-time Rattlers.
“Homecoming is nostalgia, right? It allows alums to come back and remember their time on the hill,” she said.
This is especially true for Burgess, an alum, who loves seeing—
“Former classmates, professors, friends, colleagues, people who I’ve run into years ago. It's like a big family reunion, and that's the thing that I love about FAMU's Homecoming,” Burgess said.
Tatum-Fedrick says the university will continue to promote faculty innovation to attract more corporate partnerships to continue economic growth for next year’s Homecoming.
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