“Heroes of the Hedges” is the theme of this year’s Homecoming Week festivities. Activities for students are scheduled throughout the week, and the weekend is filled with events for alumni.
The Oct. 16 football game against Vanderbilt University will feature the crowning of the Homecoming King and Queen. Uga VIII, the new live bulldog mascot, will make his debut in a pre-game ceremony.Sponsored by the Student Homecoming Committee, a part of University Union, Homecoming activities began at midnight Oct. 10 as student organizations competed in a street painting contest on Sanford Drive in front of the Tate Student Center.
The official Homecoming kickoff will be the Tate Center Plaza Extravaganza on Oct. 11 from
10 a.m. – 2 p.m. with games, free food and giveaways.
On Oct. 12, an American Red Crossblood drive will be held from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. in Reception Hall of the Tate Student Center.
That evening, students will get a chance to show off their amateur comedic skills during “Local Laughs Live,” a stand-up comedy show at 8 p.m. in the Tate Theatre.
Ludacris will headline the annual Homecoming concert on Oct. 13 at 8 p.m. on Legion Field. The concert is sold out.
On Oct. 14, there will be food and spirit activities at a pre-tailgate party from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. on the Tate Student Center Plaza.
“Super Fan” Mike Woods, well known on campus for his rabid love of the Dawgs and the painted Uga on his shaved head, will be the grand marshal for the Homecoming parade, which will step off Oct. 15 at 6 p.m. and wind through downtown Athens.
Led by the Redcoat Band, the parade will include floats, displays and appearances by the UGA cheerleaders, athletes and university and Athens dignitaries.
Following the parade, the annual Dawgs After Dark Homecoming Carnival will be held on Legion Field from 7-11 p.m. with games, midway rides and free food. Admission is free for students with valid UGACards and $5 for everyone else.
Students will vote online during the week of Oct. 11 to choose the Homecoming King and Queen from among 10 students on the Homecoming Court. The king and queen will be crowned during halftime of the football game.
In addition to events for students, several schools and colleges have planned Homecoming events for their alumni.
• The Franklin College of Arts and Sciences will host a tailgate in partnership with the UGA at Oxford Program on Oct. 16 at 10 a.m. on the Park Hall patio.
• The Terry College of Business will host a homecoming tailgate Oct. 16, 9 a.m.-noon on the Brooks Hall lawn. The tailgate will include a buffet and live music. Tickets are $25 for adults, $12 for children ages 6-12, and children younger than 6 are free.
• The College of Environment and Design will host the “Charleston Gardens,” tailgate and book signing with Jim Cothran on Oct. 16 at 9 a.m. in the Founders Garden Courtyard. Books will be available for purchase for $39.95.
• The College of Family and Consumer Sciences’ alumni association will host its annual Dawgs with the Dean event on Oct. 12 from noon-1 p.m. FACS alumni will serve hot dogs and all the fixings to FACS students, faculty and staff on the front porch of Dawson Hall. Interim Dean Anne Sweaney will be on hand to meet and visit with those attending the event.
• The Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources will host a variety of events for alumni beginning with a golf tournament with a golf tournament on the UGA Golf Course at 8:30 a.m. Oct. 15. There will be sporting clays at 10 a.m. at the Brush Creek Sporting Club in Colbert. Tours of the Warnell facilities and grounds begin at 2 p.m. and the Whitehall Mansion will host an open house from 4-
5 p.m. The annual alumni association meeting at Flinchum’s Phoenix will begin at 5:15 p.m. followed by the alumni dinner at 6:30 p.m. The game day brunch and barbecue is from 9 a.m.-noon at Flinchum’s Phoenix. A ticketed shuttle will be available to and from the game and those without tickets can watch the game on the big screen at Flinchum’s Phoenix.
• The Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication will host a variety of events for alumni starting with an Alumni Authors Showcase on Oct. 14 at 4 p.m. in the Miller Learning Center’s Reading Room. Five alumni authors will discuss their careers and current books. On Oct. 15, Grady’s Apple Training Center will host an alumni open house from 4-5 p.m. in Room 136 of the Journalism Building. On Oct. 16, tours of Grady’s newly renovated fourth floor will begin at 9 a.m.
A continental breakfast will be available for members of the classes of 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990 and 2000. The annual homecoming tailgate starts two hours before kickoff on Oct. 16, on the Grady lawn. Tailgate meal tickets are $15 per person. Children ages 5 and younger are free.
• The School of Law’s graduating classes celebrating an anniversary reunion are invited to return to the law school on Oct. 15 at 6:30 p.m. for a buffet dinner. The next day, all alumni are invited to participate in the school’s 20th annual homecoming barbecue, which will begin two and a half hours before kickoff.
• The College of Pharmacy will host a tailgate lunch and reunions for the classes of 1985, 1990, 1998, 2000 and 2005. Registration begins at 9 a.m. with tours of the Pharmacy South and Wilson Pharmacy buildings from 9:30-11 a.m. Lunch will be from 10:30-11 a.m. All events will be held on the Brooks Mall in front of the Wilson Pharmacy Building.
• The Alumni Association will host “Homecoming BBQ 2010: Back to Dear Old Athens Town” on Oct. 15 from 6:30-9 p.m. at the Wray-Nicholson House. Festivities will begin after the homecoming parade. On Oct. 16, the association will host a Multicultural Homecoming Tailgate on the Myers Quad two hours prior to kickoff.
