Howard homecoming Yardfest turns the Yard into a runway as Bison show off their best fits

Howard University's homecoming has a football game on the schedule. For a lot of Bison the real main event is what everybody wore to the Yard.

The Yard becomes a runway

Yardfest kicked off Friday on the Upper Quadrangle from noon to 6 p.m. and students and alumni treated the free outdoor concert like fashion week. Leather met denim. Matching sets showed up in every color. Fresh sneakers carried people from one end of the Yard to the other and sunglasses and statement bags and jewelry did the finishing work.

Vintage silhouettes stood next to sharp streetwear. Some looks were loud on purpose with bold color combos that made people turn around. Others won with clean lines and pure confidence. Plenty of alumni came back dressed like they had been planning the outfit since last year's homecoming and some of them probably had.

Wildest Dreams week

This year's theme is Wildest Dreams, a nod to generations of Howard graduates who turned big ambitions into real lives. The week opened Oct. 11 with chapel and the royal court coronation. A student fashion show at Cramton Auditorium on Thursday set the tone before Yardfest took over.

The style stretched beyond the Yard too. A festival on Sixth Street lined up merch vendors and food trucks so nobody had to choose between a great fit and a great plate.

Saturday brings round two

International Yardfest returns Saturday from noon to 3:30 p.m. and the Bison host the Morehouse Maroon Tigers at Greene Stadium at 3:30 p.m. Families can head to FamFest in the Valley for crafts and games. The parade is off this year because of construction along Georgia Avenue.

Black college homecoming style is its own language and Howard speaks it fluently. The outfits are personal. The pride is shared. And the Yard always looks its best when the Bison come home.