WILMINGTON — This year, Wilmington College is combining Homecoming, Alumni Reunion Weekend and Family Weekend into one big, festive and event-packed Saturday, Sept. 22.
With an expectation of breaking all attendance records for the annual, fall campus ritual, the College is making a special effort in welcoming the community to join alumni, students, parents, faculty and staff in the celebration.
Homecoming features such family-friendly activities as horse-drawn wagon rides, an inflatable game park, a food truck rally, music featuring a live DJ, Homecoming Court pageantry and, of course, a variety Fightin’ Quaker sports.
While students get a head start on Homecoming Thursday (Sept. 20) evening with the Mud Volleyball Tournament and alumni begin arriving Friday (Sept. 21) for class reunions, Saturday is prime time.
The day kicks off with a 9 a.m. breakfast (reservations required) featuring a “State of the College” message from President Jim Reynolds and a chat with 1968 alumnus and WKRP in Cincinnati star Gary Sandy. He will speak about his WC experience, as well as provide a look “Behind the Scenes at WKRP.” ($10 breakfast/event tickets available at www.wilmington.edu/homecoming/)
Also, Saturday morning, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., 1968 alumnus Gary Kersey will display pieces of his acclaimed Abraham Lincoln memorabilia collection in Thomas Lounge of Pyle Student Center.
From 10 a.m. to noon, Dr. Monte Anderson, professor of agriculture, will lead a tour of Hazard Arboretum and offer his popular “Gardening with Monte” presentation. The tour will start at the rock near the arboretum entrance on Elm St.
Concurrently, the Equine Center on Fife Ave. will hold an open house, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., featuring horse-drawn wagon rides leaving from Hermann Court, on Elm St., at 10 and 11 a.m. Also, such activities geared for children as face-painting, inflatables and a dunking booth will be held on Collett Mall from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
In addition, at 10 a.m. the Harcum Art Gallery and Meriam R. Hare Quaker Heritage Center will be open featuring exhibits by ceramics artist Nicolin Haines and “Quilting the Golden Rule,” respectively.
The popular Greek Bed Races will commence at 10:30 a.m. on Elm St. in front of Hermann Court.
Popular tri-state disc jockey Aaron Judd will spin tunes from the Alumni Tent beginning at 10:30 a.m. and, just in time for lunch, the Food Truck Rally runs from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Elm St. outside Williams Stadium, the site of the football team’s 2 p.m. kickoff versus the Muskingum Muskies.
Halftime will feature the Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony and the crowning of the Homecoming king and queen, and introduction of the court.
Football isn’t the only sport on tap. The volleyball team will play St. Mary-of-the-Woods at noon and Boyce College at 4 p.m. in Fred Raizk Arena of Hermann Court, while the women’s soccer team will take on Albion College at 6 p.m. at Williams Stadium. All sporting events are free of charge.
The full schedule of events is at www.wilmington.edu/homecoming/schedule/ .
