Businesses along Hillsborough Street will paint their windows red today to celebrate Homecoming as a part of “Paint the Town Red.”

Connie Justice, a senior in agricultural business management and office support for Alumni Affairs, said students paint store fronts as part of the Homecoming spirit competition. Judges will then choose three winners.

Dave White, graduate student and spirit chair for Homecoming, said Paint the Town Red is among several competitions within the spirit competition. The contestants’ ability to relate the Homecoming theme to their entries is essential in many of the competitions, including Paint the Town Red.

Adam Compton, a junior in construction engineering and management and vice-chair of the Homecoming Committee publicity, said a panel of judges will judge the businesses based on how their paintings fit in with the Homecoming theme, “Send the Jackets Packin,” as well as how the painting relates to their actual businesses.

The winners of Paint the Town Red will receive a monetary prize, according to White. The overall winners of the spirit competition will be rewarded with guaranteed block seating for the East Carolina University game.

White said there are 30 organizations participating in the competition.

“Some are joint organizations. Like fraternities are pairing up with sororities in a few cases,” White said, “If you subtract the combined ones, there’s about 26 all together.”

Compton said most of the restaurants on Hillsborough Street participate in the competition.

“It draws attention from students to the businesses and shows support for the school,” he said.

Compton said the windows stay painted all week, and it’s the individual organization’s responsibility to clean up afterwards.

He also said the Homecoming Committee provides each group with the same amount of paint.

“It’s up to individual groups to buy more if needed,” Compton said.

Several businesses along Hillsborough Street participate in the event.

“Anything to boost the street participation, we’re all for it,” Jason King, owner of Reveire: A Coffee Den, said.

Toby Hooker, general manager of Porter’s Tavern, said his restaurant participates every year.

“We gladly participate in the event every year and look forward to new and creative ways to promote N.C. State,” Hooker said.

With the recent turnover among Hillsborough Street businesses, some newer restaurants are quickly becoming acquainted with the University’s traditions.

Drew Russell, general manager of Jimmy John’s, said he hadn’t decided whether to partake in Paint the Town Red yet.

“I’m new. I didn’t realize how big of a deal it was,” Russell said. “However, if they came here and just started painting, I wouldn’t tell them to stop.”

Paint the Town Red is just one of the Homecoming events taking place this week in preparation for the game.

Compton said Paint the Town Red gets the whole University involved in one thing.

“It’s a great way to show school spirit and get all hyped up,” he said.