Colorado State University Invites Community to Join in Homecoming and Family Weekend Celebrations Oct. 4-7

Olympic bronze medalist Janay DeLoach will serve as Grand Marshal of the 2012 Colorado State University Homecoming parade, set for Friday, Oct. 5 in Fort Collins. Students, employees, alumni and community members of all ages are invited to cheer on DeLoach, the first CSU female to medal in an Olympic track and field event, as the parade marches through Old Town Fort Collins en route to campus.

The annual parade is just one of the highlights of Homecoming and Family Weekend, which begins Thursday, Oct. 4 and runs through Sunday, Oct. 7. Both the University and Fort Collins communities are encouraged to show their Ram spirit by participating in this year’s Homecoming parade, themed “Go for the Green and Gold!”

Groups or organizations that would like to participate in the parade must register at homecoming.colostate.edu by Sept. 26 and meet minimum requirements for participation.

Homecoming and Family Weekend Details

This year’s Homecoming celebration will highlight events such as the Distinguished Alumni Awards Banquet, Reunion on the Oval, a Mystery of CSU History tour, the parade, pep rally, bonfire, the Lory Student Center’s 50th anniversary celebration, volleyball match against Wyoming, annual Homecoming 5K Race and the CSU football game against Fresno State.

The Distinguished Alumni Awards Banquet recognizes CSU alumni who have distinguished themselves professionally and have made contributions to the university through their time or philanthropy. The reception will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 4 at the Lory Student Center. Registration is required for the event; information can be found at alumni.colostate.edu.

Reunion on the Oval will kick off the weekend’s campus events at 2:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 5. Alumni, students, parents, families and community members are all invited to enjoy music by WhiteWater Ramble, local food, a beer garden, carnival games, inflatable activities and share in the fun before watching the parade from the best seats in town.

During the Reunion on the Oval, RamTrax will be hosting their Mystery of CSU History Tour, a tour of the historic Oval. Guests will learn the history behind the buildings, landmarks and the University’s significance in the Fort Collins community. Find out which buildings may be haunted, hear the stories students, faculty and staff have passed down for decades, and get the inside scoop on truths, myths and legends. Tour sign-up for 15 guests starts at 2:30 p.m., and the tour begins at2:45 p.m.

The Homecoming parade will begin at 4:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 5, at the intersection of Howes Street and Oak Street in downtown Fort Collins and will end at the intersection of Meridian Avenue and University Avenue. The 90-minute parade will feature CAM the Ram, the CSU Marching Band and a wide variety of student and community organizations. For registration details or a map of the parade route, visit homecoming.colostate.edu.

The pep rally, bonfire and fireworks will begin on the Lory Student Center West Lawn after the culmination of the Homecoming Parade. The event is free and open to the public.

From 6-9 p.m. on Oct. 5, the Lory Student Center will host a party in the student center’s Main Ballroom in celebration of its 50 years of existence. The event will pay tribute to different decades since 1962, provide a preview of the upcoming renovation and showcase the 1987 time capsule. Food and a cash bar will be available. The event is free and open to the public, but registration is requested. To register, visit homecoming.colostate.edu.

CSU Ram volleyball will take on Wyoming at 7:45 p.m. Oct. 5 at Moby Arena. Tickets are $6 and can be purchased online at homecoming.colostate.edu or at csurams.com.

The annual Homecoming 5K Race kicks off Saturday’s events beginning at 8 a.m. at the CSU Oval. Participants of all ages are encouraged to join. Proceeds from the race will benefit the Heart Disease Prevention Program of the Human Performance Clinical/Research Lab. Registration is $20 if registered by Sept. 28, $25 by Oct. 5 and $30 if registering the day of the event. For more details or to register, visit homecoming.colostate.edu.

New this year is Campus Crawl from 9 a.m. to 2 pm. Oct. 6, which showcases various buildings and locations around campus for guided or self-guided tours. This year, the event includes the University Center for the Arts, Morgan Library, Lory Student Center, Campus Recreation Center, the College of Business and the Department of Entomology. Campus Crawl is open to the public.

Ram Town, which features interactive play areas for kids, food and beverage concessions, and an opportunity to get your picture taken with CAM the Ram, will begin Saturday at 2 p.m. at Hughes Stadium.

The Homecoming and Family Weekend Tailgate will be held from 2 p.m.-4:30 p.m. preceding the CSU v. Fresno State game, which kicks off at 5 p.m. Tickets for the tailgate are $10 for Alumni Association and Ram Club members and $15 for non-members. Registration is required and can be found at homecoming.colostate.edu. For more information, contact the Alumni Association at (800) 286-2586.

The Homecoming Football Game – CSU vs. Fresno State – will kickoff at 5 p.m. at Sonny Lubick Field at Hughes Stadium.

For a complete list of events or more details about Homecoming and Family Weekend activities or registration, visit homecoming.colostate.edu.

-30-