“Why April 10–12 Is the Historic Orange Crush® Weekend — And April 17–19 Is ‘Crush Reloaded™’ Aftermath Weekend”
The official Orange Crush Festival® 2026 will take place April 10–12.
Orange Crush Festival 2026 dates, April 10–12, official Orange Crush weekend, updated event schedule
“Why April 10–12 Is the Historic Orange Crush® Weekend — And April 17–19 Is ‘Crush Reloaded™’ Aftermath Weekend”
For over a decade, Orange Crush® has organically divided into two separate spring-break weekends, each with its own history and identity.
But only one of those weekends is the historic, original, long-standing cultural date:
🟧
APRIL 10–12 — The Original, Historic Orange Crush® Weekend
Unpermitted for years, but ALWAYS the real one students traveled for
Pending official permit approval for 2026
This is the weekend that:
HBCUs historically traveled for
Alumni have recognized since the early 2000s
Students posted, hashtagged, and scheduled around
Coastal Georgia businesses prepared for
The public always associated with Orange Crush®
Authorities identified as the “natural” Orange Crush® weekend regardless of permits
Even in years without formal authorization:
APRIL 10–12 has always been the real Orange Crush® weekend.
That is why:
🔸 2026 Permit Application Submitted for April 10–12
The trademark owner has now formally filed for official approval of the authentic weekend.
This preserves the culture AND protects the city.
🟧
APRIL 17–19 — The Second Wave (“Crush Reloaded™”)
The Aftermath Weekend Created by Overflow & Demand
This weekend is:
NOT the historic Orange Crush® weekend
NOT the original cultural date
Not the traditional HBCU travel week
NOT recognized as the official event
Instead, it formed naturally as an overflow / aftermath weekend starting around 2014–2016, when huge crowds extended their trips or returned for a Round 2.
That second weekend eventually became known as:
🎉
CRUSH RELOADED™
The AFTERSHOCK EVENT
A second wave created by momentum from the REAL weekend.
And in 2026:
🔸 Crush Reloaded™ is fully controlled by the trademark owner
NOT imitators.
NOT opportunists.
NOT unlicensed promoters.
This ensures:
Safety
Authentic branding
Better crowd management
No confusion
No unauthorized exploitation
