The University of Toledo will celebrate its longest-standing tradition, Homecoming, with a week of festivities for students and alumni scheduled Monday, Sept. 30, through Saturday, Oct. 5, for the 2024 Homecoming, themed “Welcome to the Jungle.”
Students are invited to the week of activities to get pumped up for the game, all planned by the Student Homecoming Committee.
“Homecoming is a week full of traditions old and new,” said Bailey Mitchell, president of the Campus Activities and Programming Board responsible for the Homecoming Week festivities leading up to the parade. “I’m so excited with our theme, ‘Welcome to the Jungle.’ The event I’m most looking forward to is our CAP Petting Zoo on Wednesday; I love to see the smile on everyone’s face when petting a lama. Homecoming week is definitely what I’m going to miss most when I graduate.”
Monday, Sept. 30
HSC Rocky Floats, from noon to 1 p.m. on Health Science Campus. Enjoy ice cream, live music and yard games.
Movie Mondays: “Jungle Book,” from 7 to 9 p.m. in Doermann Theater located in University Hall. Get free admittance to “Jungle Book” (2016) with complimentary snacks and drinks provided.
Tuesday, Oct. 1
• Eat the Streets, from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m., Centennial Mall. Lunch will be available from a variety of food trucks, inflatable games as well as a pep rally.
Wednesday, Oct. 2
• CAP Petting Zoo, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Memorial Field House lawn. Pet adorable animals including goats, sheep, llamas, chickens and more, all sponsored by Campus Activities and Programming.
Thursday, Oct. 3
• “U at the Zoo,” from 4 to 9 p.m., at the Toledo Zoo. Spend a night at the zoo exclusive to current college students, including free food, live music, games and animal encounters. Transportation will be provided. Tickets required
• Homecoming Talent Show, from 7 to 10 p.m. at Doermann Theater in University Hall. Hosted by the National Pan-Hellenic Council, the event will feature singers, dancers, spoken word performances and more.
Friday, Oct. 4
• The Collegian Homecoming Archive Night, from 4 to 6 p.m., in Thompson Student Union Room 2591. The Collegian will be opening their archives to highlight Homecoming celebrations through the decades.
• Welcome to the BBQ, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., in the Flatlands. On the eve of Homecoming, join Campus Activities and Programing Board for a night of games, music, bonfires and food provided by City BBQ.
The University of Toledo Alumni Association will recognize its distinguished graduates at the Homecoming Alumni Gala on Friday, Oct. 4, at 6 p.m. in Thompson Student Union Auditorium. Tickets for the gala are $35 per person and may be purchased at the event’s website or by calling the Office of Alumni Engagement at 419.530.2586.
“Homecoming is always one of the most exciting times of the year for the Alumni Association,” said William Pierce, UToledo associate vice president of alumni engagement and annual giving and executive director of the UToledo Alumni Association. “We are thrilled to be able to honor this year’s distinguished alumni award recipients at the Homecoming Gala on Friday evening. The group represents the incredible impact that Rockets continue to have on their communities and beyond.”
At Rocket Romance, UToledo alumni can come and celebrate their love and the memories of finding each other during their time at the university. There will be an optional vow renewal officiated by university administrators on Friday, Oct. 4, in Centennial Mall, near the university seal. Following the ceremony will be a celebratory reception including hors d’oeuvres and photo opportunities. The Rocket Romance renewal and reception event is scheduled from 3 to 5 p.m. Attendance to Rocket Romance is $10 per person and includes the renewal and reception. Each additional guest is $15 per guest. To secure a spot in the program and reception, RSVP to the Rocket Romance website by Friday, Sept. 27.
And for all Rockets, there’s the annual Edward C. and Helen G. Schmakel Homecoming Parade beginning at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 5, in the Old Orchard neighborhood. The parade will feature floats, dignitaries, alumni, honorees, the Rocket Marching Band, Rocky and Rocksy and more, with Interim President Matt Schroeder as grand marshal.
Sponsored by Blue Key National Honor Society and supported by the Office of Student Engagement and the Office of Alumni Engagement, the parade will begin at West Bancroft Street and Campus Road and go east to Cheltenham Road to Christie Street to Middlesex Drive and back to West Bancroft Street. For more information about the Edward C. and Helen G. Schmakel Homecoming Parade, visit the event’s website.
Following the parade is a Pregame Party, from noon to 3 p.m., at William and Carol Koester Alumni Pavilion. Stop by for a free hot dog, chips and non-alcoholic beverages. There will be a cash bar for those 21 and older with proper ID.
“We love welcoming our alumni and friends back to campus to celebrate with us and remind them of their time spent at UToledo while also recognizing how the University has shaped their lives and careers,” Pierce said. “We are glad we get to be a small part of that by providing opportunities to join together through events like our pregame party or the Rocket Romance vow renewal event.”
And the main event, the Toledo Rockets vs. Miami RedHawks football game Saturday, Oct. 5, in Glass Bowl Stadium, with kickoff set for 3:30 p.m. Attendance is free for students. Faculty, alumni and other fans can purchase tickets online. Homecoming Parade float winners will be announced, along with an iconic halftime performance from the Rocket Marching Band.
For more information, visit the UToledo Homecoming website.
