Members of the Tribe who do not live here full time will swarm into Williamsburg this week for Homecoming at the College of William & Mary.
Highlights of this year’s events:
Parade
The William & Mary Homecoming Parade steps off at 4:30 p.m. Friday, rounding the corner of North Boundary Street and Richmond Road. It will then travel up Richmond Road onto Dillard Street and Ukrop Way to end at William & Mary Hall.
Doug Morton, a graduate from the class of 1962, and his wife Marilyn Brown will serve as this year’s grand marshals.
Class reunion parade watches are planned along Richmond Road. Click here to see locations.
The parade will also be streamed live online.
Tribe Football
William & Mary will take on Villanova for its Homecoming football game Saturday afternoon. The Tribe takes the field against the Wildcats at 3:30 p.m. at Zable Stadium.
Visit the Tribe Athletics website for tickets.
School Spirit
Immediately after Friday’s parade, a Pep Rally will gather at Zable Stadium. In addition to cheering on Tribe Football in preparation for Saturday’s game, Homecoming class representatives will be announced.
The annual Sunset Ceremony in Wren Courtyard honors alumni who have died within the last year. The program starts at 6 p.m. Friday and is open to alumni, guests, faculty and staff.
From 6 to 11 p.m., the Alumni House Front Lawn will host the Friday Night Block Party, featuring a Virginia craft beer and wine festival and food trucks. There will also be music by alumni bands the Dimeslots and Major & the Monbacks. Entrance is free, with $25 tickets for the beer and wine tasting, and food trucks pay-as-you-go.
Before Saturday’s football game, there will be an All-Alumni & Reunion Class Tailgate in a tent on the Sunken Garden. From noon to 3 p.m. the picnic lunch — at $20 for adults and $15 for children ages 3 to 12 — includes barbecue, brats, pie, beer and wine.
Members of the Young Guarde — those who graduated in 2010 through 2014 — can head to the Sunken Garden from 8 to 10 p.m. for the Young Guarde Beer Garden. There will be beer tasting flights and food in an Oktoberfest-themed celebration.
The party continues at the Saturday Night Bash, open to all alumni for $20 per person. The Right On Band will perform, with light refreshments and beverages included and a cash bar for premium drinks.
Close out the weekend with Alumni Coffee and Donuts, on Sunday at the Alumni House. Emily’s Donuts will provide the free sustenance from 8:30 to 11 a.m.
The class of 1975 and Staying Connected will host the Staying Connected Brunch, starting at 10 a.m. Sunday at 408 Griffin Ave. The event is designed for alumni and students to bond and share experiences. The a cappella group The Stairwells will perform at noon.
Arts
The Muscarelle Museum of Art will hold an opening reception for “Tree to Mountain: The Woodblock Prints Of Toshi Yoshida” on Friday evening in its Sheridan Gallery. Guests will be able to see the student- and faculty-curated show, along with all current exhibitions on display from 6 to 8 p.m.
The William & Mary Synchronized Swimming Team will present a show Friday evening at the Adair Hall Pool. The free program starts at 7:30 p.m. and includes swimming to tunes by Aretha Franklin, Rusted Root and Disney.
Experience Bandemonium when the Wind Ensemble and Pep Band team up for a concert Friday evening. Starting at 8 p.m., the concert will feature Tribe spirit songs plus marches and concert band selections. Admission is free for students, alumni and children ages 12 and under, and $10 otherwise.
All of William & Mary’s 11 a cappella groups will perform a Homecoming concert over the course of the weekend:
- Common Ground, female Christian music: 8 p.m. Friday in Ewell Recital Hall
- The Accidentals, female ensemble: 11 a.m. Saturday in Wren Chapel
- Passing Notes, female group: noon Saturday on Barrett Porch
- The Intonations, female singers: 12:30 p.m. Saturday in Ewell Recital Hall
- One Accord, male Christian a cappella: 1 p.m. Saturday in Wren Chapel
- Gentlemen of the College, male ensemble: 1 p.m. Saturday in the Sadler Center Commonwealth Auditorium
- Cleftomaniacs, co-ed music: 1:30 p.m. Saturday in the Wren Great Hall
- Stairwells, male singers: 2 p.m. Saturday in Ewell Recital Hall
- DoubleTake, co-ed ensemble: 3 p.m. Saturday in the Wren Great Hall
- Reveille, female group: 3 p.m. Saturday in Ewell Recital Hall
- The Christopher Wren Singers, co-ed classical music: 4:30 p.m. Saturday in Wren Chapel
The Southern Jazz Brunch starts at 9:30 a.m. Saturday with live jazz in a tent on the Alumni House lawn. The cost is $35 per person, which includes a selection of breakfast favorites and signature southern dishes with beverages available from a cash bar.
Spotlight Show Choir will give a free performance of solos and group numbers Saturday morning. The show tunes and dancing start at 10 a.m. in the Little Theatre in the basement of the Campus Center.
From 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Andrews Hall will welcome alumni to a reception for the new exhibition “Breaking Ground: Contemporary Photography at the College of William & Mary.” The show includes more than 100 artists from around the world, including alumni.
The music goes outdoors at the annual Wrenstock 2014, where alumni bands perform on the Sunken Garden. Free entertainment runs from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., including The Dimeslots, Big Dogs, Roadducks and more.
The Improvisation Theatre troupe will present a homecoming show full of fast-paced improvisation Saturday afternoon. The free show will start at 2 p.m. at the Crim Dell Amphitheatre.
Hear traditional Chinese music Saturday night at the Yue-Kiln Ceramic Music Concert. Musicians will perform on ceramic instruments in a tradition dating back to the eighth century. The concert is free and starts at 7 p.m. at the Kimball Theatre.
The William & Mary Choir will perform its annual homecoming concert at 8 p.m. Saturday in the Catholic Campus Ministries Chapel. The program is free, and alumni are welcome to join at 7 p.m. to rehearse a joint piece to sing in the concert.
For the Kids
Bring the youngest members of the Tribe to the Children’s Author Breakfast on Saturday morning. Jennifer O’Connell, author of “The Eye of the Whale: A Rescue Story” and “Ten Timid Ghosts,” will present and sign books, starting at 11 a.m. on the first floor of Swem Library. RSVP to 221-7872 or [email protected].
While live music fills the air during Wrenstock 2014, a Children’s Carnival will entertain little ones on the Sunken Garden. There will be inflatables, mini-golf and others, along with carnival concessions available for purchase. Events go from noon to 3 p.m.
Lectures
Laura Romano, a biologist who graduated from William & Mary in 1993, will speak Thursday on her research in genetic control of development in sea urchins. Her talk will be held at 4 p.m. in Andrews Hall Room 101, with a reception and pizza party for students, faculty and alumni afterward.
The Ohio State University Professor Daniel Rivers will give the William & Mary Gay and Lesbian Alumni John Boswell Memorial Lecture. The free lecture, followed by a reception, starts at 3 p.m. Friday in Blow Memorial Hall Room 201.
Alumnus Paul DeBell will speak at 3:30 p.m. Friday on “Turning Outrage into Contempt: the Emotional Basis of Democratic Backsliding in Easter Europe.” The PhD Candidate in Government Lecture is free and will be held in Blow Memorial Hall Room 331.
Other Events
Swing away at the Sandy Kelly Tennis Tournament, starting at 10:30 a.m. Friday at the Millie West Tennis Facility. The cost is $15 per person for the mixed double tournament, with prizes for winners. Contact Leah Reinhardt at [email protected] or 221-1182 for more information.
The Flat Hat, William & Mary’s student newspaper, will host a brunch and alumni panel discussion Saturday morning. Starting at 9:30 a.m. in the basement of the Campus Center, the event is open to all alumni, not just those who have taken careers in journalism or its related fields.
For a full list of events, including department open houses and mixers for specific class years, visit the William & Mary Homecoming website.
