BU Homecoming starts today! Join us all weekend long

There are four full days of fun at Brandon University this weekend as we celebrate Homecoming. Everyone is invited to this celebration of community connection, with a special welcome to alumni, as well as faculty, staff and students. Homecoming starts today and runs through Sunday.

More information is available online at BrandonU.ca/Homecoming. An information booth for visitors will also be set up in the front foyer of the Healthy Living Centre on Friday afternoon and Saturday.

Thursday, Oct. 17

Homecoming kicks off with energizing public presentations and performances. On Thursday afternoon at 2 p.m., visiting scholar Luiz Henrique Eloy will present a public talk about the ongoing fires in the Brazilian Amazon forest. That evening, Dr. Samantha Nutt joins us for her public keynote, “When Local is Global” at the WMCA.

Also Thursday evening is the annual favourite Homecoming Concert, featuring BU’s Dean of Music Greg Gatien, and faculty member Michael Cain. Leading up to the concert will be a tea and coffee alumni social at the music library.

Friday, Oct. 18

Friday evening is the Home Opener for the BU Bobcats volleyball teams. The men’s team is coming off a national silver medal and the women’s have their own eyes set on the playoffs this year. The women start things off at 6 p.m. with the men’s match to follow at 7:45 p.m.

New this year is a Home Opener Tailgate party! Come fuel up before the big game in the HLC parking lot, where we’re dishing out BBQ ribs, hamburgers, veggie burgers and hot dogs, with coleslaw, potato salad, Caesar salad and house-fresh kettle chips as sides. Tailgate party tickets are $20 each which gets you food, a beverage and a ticket to the home-opener. Season ticket holders, flex pack ticket users and BU students can pay just $15 for the food and beverage.

Later in the evening, if the weather permits, the BU Astronomical Observatory is hosting a viewing atop McMaster Hall. It’s the largest publicly-accessible telescope between Thunder Bay and Calgary.

Saturday, Oct. 19

Saturday is a key day for Homecoming festivities. The morning begins with the Athletics Wall of Fame induction ceremony and brunch.

For the kids, come to the Evans for a showing of Despicable Me 2, with a fun milk-and-cereal bar. The first 100 kids also get a free pass to Bran-Con, western Manitoba’s comic convention, being held at the WMCA.

Family Day will take place all afternoon on campus, with a haunted residence tour at Darrach Hall and a midway of activities in the Henry Champ gym.

Also on Saturday is our Indigenous Alumni Reunion. Join Indigenous alumni from all years in a morning pipe ceremony, a sharing circle and luncheon, bannock over the fire, and beading.

Research takes centre stage Saturday afternoon with a ‘Built in Brandon’ presentation of world-class work being done right here at BU. Join faculty for three-minute presentations of their work that will leave you wanting more.

Saturday also celebrates 80 Years of Science at Brandon University. Displays will be mounted throughout the Brodie Building, and members of the public will be welcome to tour, including through the Observatory and the Greenhouse.

Guided tours of campus are also available through the afternoon.

The BU Bobcats continue to put on a great show for sports fans. The Bobcats soccer teams play at 1 p.m. (men) and 3:15 p.m. (women) at their home HLC field. These matches are free. And volleyball teams are back in action Saturday evening at the HLC gym.

Finally, Saturday evening features the Alumni Dinner and Awards evening. Three alumni will be celebrated for their accomplishments, and many of our alumni will be coming together to mark significant milestones since graduation, including the class of 1969, who are celebrating 50 years.

Sunday, Oct. 20

Homecoming concludes with a traditional farewell brunch. Alumni come together one final time to share a few more stories, a few more laughs, and a few more memories before next year.

All during Homecoming, self-guided tours will be available, with campus buildings unlocked extended hours. Guide booklets can be downloaded from BrandonU.ca/Campus-Map. Also, the Evans Theatre on campus is showing a Canadian movie, Menteur, on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening.

Much of Homecoming is free, and all are welcome. Please check the Homecoming website at BrandonU.ca/Homecoming for more details as well as to register for some events.

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