William & Mary Homecoming & Reunion Weekend on campus Oct. 18-21

by Claire De Lisle, University Advancement | October 10, 2018

Next weekend, alumni will return to William & Mary to celebrate and reconnect with classmates and their alma mater. The William & Mary and local communities are invited to participate in a wide variety of events, including the annual Homecoming Parade, which will take place Friday, Oct. 19 at 4:30 p.m.

For those planning to attend festivities in the afternoon of Oct. 19, please note that the parade route will begin on North Boundary Street before coming up Richmond Road, turning onto Dillard St. and proceeding down Ukrop Way to Kaplan Arena. No cars will be allowed to park on Richmond Road on Friday until approximately 6 p.m.

Serving as this year’s parade Grand Marshal will be Ruth Tillar ’45, who has attended 76 William & Mary Homecomings. The Homecoming Grand Marshal is an honorary position filled by distinguished alumni and friends of William & Mary. The Grand Marshals receive recognition throughout Homecoming and ride in the lead car during the Homecoming parade.

This year's parade theme is "William & Mary Through the Ages" as part of the university's yearlong commemoration of the 100th anniversary of coeducation at William & Mary. This parade will also be President Katherine A. Rowe's first as the 28th president of William & Mary.

Announcing the parade and narrating the live stream will be Kay Floyd ’05 and Amanda Vtipilson ’09. Floyd is a past member of the Alumni Association board and is a visiting fellow at the Department of Justice. Vtipilson is an adult programs and tours manager at The Valentine in Richmond.

The live broadcast and parade judging will take place on the opposite side of the street this year, in front of One Tribe Place, because the Alumni House will be closed for construction and renovation. The Alumni House is expected to reopen in spring 2020. Because of the closure, registration for paid events during Homecoming & Reunion Weekend will be available in the Sadler Center.

Other highlights of Homecoming include:

Virginia Uncorked: Friday, Oct. 19, 7-11 p.m. in the Sunken Garden, featuring live music, food trucks (pay-as-you-go) and tastings from Virginia breweries, vineyards and distilleries ($30 per person, $10 for non-tasting admission).
W&M Libraries Homecoming Author Breakfast: Saturday, Oct. 20, 8-10 a.m. at Swem Library, enjoy breakfast and a book signing with Alexandra Bracken '09, author of "The Darkest Minds" series (a summer blockbuster), and Anne Marie Pace '87, author of the "Vampirina Ballerina" series (now a hit Disney Jr. TV show).
Concert with Chip Esten ’87, star of "Nashville," and his band N'est Pas: Saturday, Oct. 20, noon-3 p.m in the Sunken Garden, sing along at this special free performance.
Children’s Carnival: Saturday, Oct. 20, noon-3 p.m. in the Sunken Garden, enjoy this family-friendly carnival featuring inflatables, face painting and more.
W&M Football Game: Saturday, Oct. 21, 3:30 p.m. at Zable Stadium. The Tribe will take on the Maine Black Bears. Call 757.221.3340 to purchase tickets.
Saturday Night Bash: Saturday, Oct. 21, 9-11:30 p.m in the Sunken Garden main tent, dance the night away to the sounds of party band 10 Spot, or mingle, snack and spend time with friends.

William & Mary expects thousands of alumni, students, faculty, parents and friends of the university to participate in this year’s Homecoming & Reunion Weekend.

A complete list of campus events and prices are available online.