For Cornell ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾coming weekend 2019, Oct. 4-5, the university will welcome everyone – alumni, students, faculty, staff, and residents of Ithaca and surrounding communities – to the Ithaca campus for a two-day celebration.
Traditional centerpiece events, including Friday night’s fireworks and Saturday’s Fan Festival before the football game, are expected to draw a general audience of up to 18,000. In addition, are planned by colleges and units, student groups, Greek affiliates and other entities around the university.
“During ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾coming weekend, Cornell throws its doors open and invites everyone to ‘come home,'” said Lauren Graham Garcia, associate director of ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾coming and special interest programs. “With hundreds of collaborative events planned, there really is something to interest anyone. It’s a tradition for alumni to come back to campus, and many parents visit on ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾coming weekend. Students, faculty and staff enjoy the opportunity to take a break, and it’s a great opportunity for people who live nearby to join in the fun.”
provides a full schedule of events, as well as a .
The official celebration opens Friday at 7 p.m. with the fireworks and laser light show, which is free, family-friendly and open to the public. New this year, for admission to the show, at Schoellkopf Field, and are available online.
Friday’s show incorporates larger-than-life 3D projections and music, in addition to fireworks, to showcase Cornell spirit. Opening entertainment will be provided by DJ Ben Ortiz, assistant curator of the Cornell Hip Hop Collection in Cornell University Library’s Rare and Manuscript Collections, and the Big Red Marching Band.
Saturday’s main athletics event – the Big Red football game against Georgetown – kicks off at 3 p.m. Tickets are free for Cornell students with a Big Red Sports Pass. General admission tickets can be purchased at . On game day, tickets can be purchased at the Bartels Hall ticket office with credit card or at the Schoellkopf Field gate with cash.
Other public events Saturday include:
- ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾coming 5K, 8:30 a.m., F.R. Newman Arboretum at Cornell Botanic Gardens. proceeds benefit the United Way of Tompkins County;
- ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾coming Arts Tour, 9:30 a.m., Human Ecology Building, Level T. for this glimpse of the diverse fine art and cultural offerings at Cornell;
- Return to the Classroom: “Getting a Leg Up: Prosthetics in Veterinary Medicine,” a lecture by Chris Frye, DVM ’11, assistant clinical professor and section chief of sports medicine and rehabilitation at the Cornell University Hospital for Animals; 11:30 a.m., Hall of Fame Room, Friends Hall. , and a ;
- Big Red Fan Festival, noon to 3 p.m., Crescent parking lot, with tailgate parties, free music, rides and college showcases;
- ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾coming concert, 8 p.m., Barton Hall; tickets at the .
In addition to the main attractions, dozens of events and opportunities – including athletics competitions, exhibits, college tours and lectures – will be offered.
“Alumni and students, in particular, find common ground through traditions such as ³Ô¹ÏÍøÕ¾coming,” said Lisa Bushlow ’91, senior director of student and alumni, class and affinity programs. “We’re all here to have fun, learn and celebrate Cornell together.”
Kate Blackwood is a writer and editor for Alumni Affairs and Development.
