BOONE—Appalachian State University will welcome alumni and friends to join in a week of homecoming festivities. The celebration begins Oct. 17 with a “Chill & Grill” social event on Sanford Mall at 4 p.m. and ends with the popular National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) step show at the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts at 8 p.m. Oct. 22. Other popular annual events include the Homecoming parade, LipSync competition and APPtoberfest. At 3:30 p.m. Oct. 22, the Mountaineer football team will take on the Idaho Vandals in Kidd Brewer Stadium, known as The Rock.

The full 2016 event schedule is below:

Monday, Oct. 17

Homecoming events begin with a “Chill & Grill” social on Sanford Mall from 4-7 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 18

A “Movie on the Mall” event will feature “Wreck it Ralph” at 8 p.m. The movie will play outdoors on a large inflatable screen. Moviegoers are encouraged to bring a blanket and some friends to enjoy hot cocoa and popcorn. In case of rain, the event will move to I.G. Greer Auditorium.

Wednesday, Oct. 19

Mountaineer Spirit Day lasts all day. All Mountaineers are encouraged to wear black and gold. The Appalachian Popular Programming Society (APPS) will sponsor a “Free Make & Takes” event on Sanford Mall from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. The public is invited to make spirit items to wear, carry or share. At 7 p.m., APPS will host a Game Show Night in Legends.

Thursday, Oct. 20

The popular Homecoming LipSync event will take place at the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts from 7-9 p.m. This event is free of charge and open to the public.

Friday, Oct. 21

Throughout the day, alumni and visitors are invited to attend Homecoming Highlights events. The Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, located at 421 W. King Street, will be open from noon-8 p.m. for self-guided tours of art exhibitions. Admission is free, and an event schedule is available at http://tcva.org.From 2:30-4:30 p.m., Men’s Basketball Head Coach Jim Fox and the 2016-17 Mountaineers will host an open practice in Varsity Gym. This is an opportunity for a first peek as the team prepares for Sun Belt competition. Advance registration is requested: visit http://homecoming.appstate.edu/homecoming-highlights-tour.Appalachian Student Ambassadors will lead one-hour campus tours for alumni and friends to see the changes on campus since their last visits. Tours begin at the “Touchdown Yosef” statue at the intersection of Rivers Street and Stadium Drive. All tours begin at 3 p.m. and advance registration is requested: visit http://homecoming.appstate.edu/homecoming-highlights-tour.The annual Homecoming Parade will take place from 6-7 p.m. The parade begins in the Peacock Hall parking lot and follows a route west on Rivers Street, north on Water Street, then east on King Street through downtown Boone. Led by the Marching Mountaineers, the parade will feature Appalachian’s Student Government Association, ROTC and floats made by student organizations. This year’s parade will also feature Apperion, Appalachian’s award-winning solar vehicle, and several emissions-free vehicles transporting Chancellor Sheri N. Everts, Grand Marshals Gerald ’54 and Julia Adams ’56 and other distinguished university guests. Students, faculty and staff will gather after the parade to dismantle and recycle float materials, with a goal of a zero-waste parade.

Following the parade, Appalachian’s Club Council will host another traditional Homecoming event, the annual Kazoo Band Competition, on Sanford Mall at 7:30 p.m.

A newer Appalachian tradition, APPtober Fest, will take place from 8-11:30 p.m. on Sanford Mall. The event will feature local food trucks, an Alumni Beer Garden and live music by The Bantum Rooster Band covering classic songs from the ’80s, ’90s and now. 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. For more information, visit http://homecoming.appstate.edu/apptober-fest.

Saturday, Oct. 22

Alumni Affairs will host the annual Alumni & Friends Breakfast at the McKinney Alumni Center from 9-10:30 a.m.Homecoming tailgate will begin at noon on Duck Pond Field, and conclude at 3 p.m. Alumni are invited to stop by the tailgate tent, view yearbooks, pick up a class year button, and join in fellowship with other alumni.Kickoff for the Appalachian vs. Idaho game begins at 3:30 p.m. at The Rock – Kidd Brewer Stadium. The game will be broadcast on ESPN3.During halftime, members of the Homecoming Royalty, a court of nine individuals chosen by the student body, will be recognized on the field. The Homecoming Royalty Program at Appalachian celebrates the countless exceptional contributions made by current students through their campus and community involvement, as well their efforts to support the success of other Mountaineers. From the nine finalists, one student will be further recognized as the 2016 “Top of the Rock” recipient in recognition of outstanding achievements and contribution to the success of others.

The Homecoming festivities conclude with the popular annual NPHC step show at the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts, from 8-11 p.m.

For more information on Appalachian’s 2016 Homecoming celebration, visit http://homecoming.appstate.edu. Find the events on Facebook at http://facebook.com/appalachianhomecoming.

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, affordable education for all. 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.

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