Celebrating Happily Ever After with Homecoming 2015, Oct. 1-3

Posted Sep. 15, 2015 at 2:08 p.m.

BOONE—The Appalachian State University community will celebrate 2015 homecoming with old and new traditions, including the homecoming blood drive, parade and APPtoberfest. The Mountaineer football team will take on the University of Wyoming Cowboys in Kidd Brewer Stadium at 3:30 p.m. on Oct. 3.

Pre-homecoming events start with the 9th Annual Homecoming Blood Drive Sept. 23. Students, faculty and staff must register to donate or volunteer online through homecoming.appstate.edu. In previous years, the homecoming blood drive has collected more blood in a single day than anywhere else in North Carolina.

The homecoming kick-off, sponsored by the Appalachian Alumni Association, will be Sept. 28 on Sanford Mall from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 1

The Appalachian Alumni Association will hold its annual Alumni Awards Ceremony in the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts from 7-10 p.m. The alumni association will recognize Young Alumna Award winner Laura Aiken ’98 ’00, Outstanding Service Award winner Reba Moretz ’52 ’53, and Distinguished Alumnus Award winner Nelson Dollar ’83 ’85. The event will include heavy hors d’oeuvres, beer and wine. The event requires an R.S.V.P and cocktail attire is suggested.

Lip Sync finals will be held in Holmes Convocation Center from 8-10 p.m. The top performers from student clubs and organizations, residence halls, fraternities and sororities will compete to win best performance in this homecoming tradition. The event is free and open to the community.

Friday, Oct. 2

Students, alumni and the public are invited to Appalachian’s Commemoration of Integration ceremony to remember the first African-American students who enrolled more than 50 years ago and the accomplishments of African-American alumni. Dr. Harry Williams ’86 ’88 ’95, president of Delaware State University, will be the keynote speaker and artist Darrick Claiborne ’95 will present a commemorative painting to honor the history of integration at Appalachian. The event will be held in the Holmes Convocation Center at 12:30 p.m. and is free to all.

Appalachian’s field hockey team will play Wake Forest University 5-7 p.m. at the Appalachian Field Hockey Stadium.

The Homecoming Parade, originally scheduled for 5:45 p.m., has been canceled due to potentially severe weather.

A new event, APPtoberfest featuring local food trucks and an Alumni Beer Garden, will be hosted by the Alumni Association beginning at 6:30 p.m. inside Holmes Convocation Center. It will be followed by Spirit Under the Stars at 8:30 p.m., also inside Holmes Convocation Center due to inclement weather. All ages are welcome, but a valid ID confirming age of 21 or older is required for beverage service. Drink packages are available for purchase in advance or at the door. For more information, visit http://homecoming.appstate.edu/apptober-fest.

Spirit Under the Stars continues until 11:30 p.m. with live music provided by the Bantum Rooster Band and the homecoming pep rally.

The night will end with the Gospel Choir Midnight Musical from midnight until 2 a.m. in Rosen Auditorium of the Broyhill Music Center. The concert features Minneapolis-based vocalist Patricia Lacey-Aiken accompanied by the ASU Gospel Choir and the Cornerstone Summit Praise team. The concert is free and open to the public.

Saturday, Oct. 3

Appalachian alumni, friends and family are invited to the Alumni Homecoming Breakfast from 9:30-11 a.m. in the McKinney Alumni Center.

The Mountaineers will play their homecoming game against University of Wyoming Cowboys at Kidd Brewer Stadium at 3:30 p.m. The homecoming king and queen will be announced during the halftime show.

Alumni are invited to stop by the Alumni Tailgate Headquarters, which will be located in Varsity Gym given Saturday’s forecast for inclement weather, for give-a-ways and alumni merchandise for purchase from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Barbecue will be served for $10. A special reunion area will be set up for dining, where alumni can connect and dine at tables marked by decade.

For more information and details, visit http://homecoming.appstate.edu.

About Appalachian State University

As a premier public institution, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives. App State is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System, with a national reputation for innovative teaching and opening access to a high-quality, cost-effective education. The university enrolls more than 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its Boone and Hickory campuses and through App State Online. Learn more at https://www.appstate.edu.