Chicken wire usually has a pretty simple job. In Stillwater, it helps hold generations of memories together. In this episode of Red Dirt and Round Bales, Dave Deken follows Oklahoma State’s Homecoming from a 1913 harvest carnival to the tissue-paper decorations and Walkaround crowds that bring families back each fall. Along the way, a traffic problem becomes a tradition, and thousands of small pieces become a reminder of what people can build together.
How did chicken wire, tissue paper, and a harvest carnival become a tradition that brings generations of Cowboys back to Stillwater?
In this episode of Red Dirt and Round Bales, Dave Deken traces the roots of Oklahoma State University’s Homecoming and the student work behind its familiar displays. The story begins with a 1913 carnival that helped fund the college yearbook, then follows a small alumni reunion as it grows into a celebration shared by a university and its town.
At the center are students placing tissue paper into chicken wire, one piece at a time. Their work creates more than decorations: it gives returning families a place to reconnect and today’s students memories they can bring their own children back to see.
In this episode:
• How a harvest carnival helped lay the groundwork for OSU Homecoming.
• How decorated doorways grew into elaborate house displays.
• What “pomping” involves and why the work takes patience and teamwork.
• How crowded streets helped give rise to Walkaround.
• How students and the Stillwater community keep the reunion going.
Detailed timestamped rundown:
00:00:00 — Chicken Wire, Cowboy Memories, and the 1913 Harvest Carnival
00:01:08 — The Alumni Reunion, Pomping, and Walkaround’s Beginnings
00:03:01 — Making Room for People and Traditions
00:03:09 — The Story Leads to Stillwater
00:03:14 — Oklahoma A&M, OSU, and America’s Greatest Homecoming
00:03:30 — National Recognition, Community Traditions, 2026 Details, and Closing