Ducks of the past, present and future will be celebrated as campus marks its annual homecoming weekend with rallies, reunions and recreation.
Most events take place between Thursday, Oct. 24 and Sunday, Oct. 27, but campus will be flooded with students in yellow and green starting Monday, Oct. 21, when Spirit Week kicks off. Then on Thursday, Oct. 24, Ducks who graduated in 1969 will gather for their annual 50th reunion to reminisce, catch up and marvel at how campus has changed.
At noon Friday, Oct. 25, campus welcomes more visitors with Fall Family Weekend. It’s an opportunity for students to reconnect with their families, show parents around campus and even convert a few younger siblings to Ducks-in-waiting. Families will have a chance to attend a lecture or visit the Craft Center for a glass blowing workshop Friday in the early afternoon. The full schedule for Fall Family Weekend can be found online.
Also at noon, the Community Welcome will be underway on East 13th Avenue between Alder and Kincaid streets; it is open to all students, staff, alumni, families, community members and visitors. Hosted by the University of Oregon and the University District Business Association, it includes live student performances on the main stage at 13th and Alder throughout the day. Food vendors and organizations promoting community activities and resources will be on hand, as well as family-friendly activities and a beer garden.
At 4 p.m. Friday, students, staff, community and family members are invited to Run with the Duck in Riverfront Field along the Willamette River. The 5K run will be preceded by a 1K kids run starting at 3:30 p.m. across the Frohnmayer Bridge south of Autzen Stadium. Preregistration for the race is free.
The annual Homecoming Student Parade will launch at 5 p.m. from the Erb Memorial Union Green. The festivities will march out to 13th Avenue between University and Kincaid streets then down to the Community Welcome’s main stage for the Feed the Flock Pep Rally. Student organizations that want to participate in the parade can sign up online.
Feed the Flock is a food security and nutrition initiative. The multipronged effort to keep Ducks fed includes monthly free produce drops, notifications about leftover food on campus and a student food pantry. The Feed the Flock pep rally helps raise awareness about nutrition resources around campus.
After the pep rally, DJ Kellalit will close out Community Welcome as the headline artist, performing until 8 p.m.
At 7:30 p.m. UO ambassadors will lead the crowd to all the spookiest places on campus, telling Oregon’s legends and ghost stories under the moonlight. The Haunted Campus Tour is free and open to everyone.
Saturday, families and students alike can flock to Autzen Stadium for the Ducks football game against Washington State University.
Families will want to stick around Saturday night, because Sunday from 2-4 p.m. the Student Recreation Center will have Rec or Treat, a free event for children of all ages complete with games, prizes and scary costumes.
The full schedule for homecoming activities can be found online.