The 113th Hobo Day “went super well,” according to Grand Pooba Claire Koenecke.
Brookings Police Chief Michael Drake agreed.
“It was really great … The weather could not have been better,” Koenecke said of this year’s festivities on Saturday, Oct. 11. “We saw great attendance at all of our events.”
Despite the big crowds, Drake provided statistics that pointed to a relatively calm Hobo Day
During homecoming weekend, the police department made a total of seven arrests, down from the average of 15 to 20 of previous years, Drake said. The statistic that went down the most was DUIs. This year there was only one DUI offense that occurred, with six last year.
“I think it’s because of getting the word out to the establishments, also educating people,” Drake said.
Drake also attributed the low number of DUI arrests to the popularity of ride-sharing services such as Lyft.
This year also marked another change in the way Main Street was handled.
“Last year we shut it (Main Street) down at the parade at about 9 o’clock in the morning, and we didn’t reopen it until 6 a.m. the next morning,” Drake said.
After city officials asked business owners and others what they thought of the shutdown last year, they made some adjustments. Due to this feedback. Main Street this year was shut down for the parade, then reopened from noon to 6 p.m. Drake explained that this extra time allowed people to access the street by vehicle if need be.
This year’s Hobo Day Parade attracted thousands of people, including students, community members and returning alumni.
As Grand Pooba, Koenecke is responsible for leading the Hobo Day Committee, planning the meetings, conducting interviews for committee hopefuls, and more behind the scenes work – culminating with a drive in the over 100-year-old Bummobile at the Hobo Day parade.
Koenecke has been on the Hobo Day Committee for three years, serving previously as a dignitary coordinator and then a parade assistant.
“I think every position on the committee definitely has its ups and down,” Koenecke said. “The fun thing about the (Grand) Pooba position is that you kind of get to see everyone’s work.”
Koeneke’s favorite activity of Hobo Week is the parade, but she said that one of the more underrated Hobo Week activities is Bum-Over, where students build shanties made out of cardboard.
“It’s one of my favorite events to do as the committee,” Koenecke said. You really just get to step back and kind of watch people just be so creative.”
On top of all those festivities, students can volunteer to help the police department. Drake said that the work mostly includes traffic control and setting up barricades to ensure safety.
Another way to stay safe, according to Drake, is to rely on friends.
“Traveling in numbers is a good thing,” Drake said. “Make sure you keep track of each other, so that nobody is overindulging in alcoholic beverages.”
Of the four years that Drake has overseen Hobo Day he said, “I’m always overly impressed on how well people work together, looking out for one another,” Drake said.
Drake said the Brookings Police Department is already planning for Hobo Day 2026, factoring in constructive feedback from the community.
