51����

On Friday, October 4 and Saturday, October 5, 51���� welcomes alumni, families, and the broader community to its Grand Rapids campus for Homecoming & Family Weekend.  
 
The weekend is full of familiar traditions like the 51���� Classic 5K & Youth Run, the Fall Music Festival, and the Grand Prix Bed Races. And this year, 51���� is set to kick off some new traditions, including the university’s first-ever Homecoming football game. 
 
“We are excited to celebrate longstanding traditions at 51����, while welcoming in a new hallmark staple of our future homecoming celebrations,” said Jeff Haverdink, executive director of alumni & family engagement. “We are beginning a whole new chapter of what it looks like to celebrate homecoming at 51����, and we are excited to give our alums yet another reason to come back to campus to see all of the exciting things happening here.” 
 
51���� has quite the lineup of events planned. On Friday, guests can enjoy the Grand Prix Bed Races, a cookout on the lawn outside Knollcrest Dining Hall, the 51���� Music Festival, and the first-ever cornhole tournament with $1,500 in cash prizes. 
 
Saturday’s festivities include the 51���� Classic 5K & Youth Run, the inaugural homecoming football game, and a soccer doubleheader which includes the dedication of the new stadium. An on-campus farmer’s market and improv show round out the weekend festivities. 
 
While the lineup of activities is impressive, what many guests will discover as they move around campus are the new spaces that have opened up in the past year, including the first phase of Commons Union, the new state-of-the-art soccer stadium, and the brand new track & field complex located on the far east side of campus, to name a few. 
 
“If you haven’t been back to 51���� for a few months, you’ll want to come check out the campus and all the new and reimagined spaces,” said Haverdink. “The weather is looking great and I’m not sure there’s a better time of year to take in the beauty of our campus.” 
 
Check out the full schedule of events at calvin.edu/homecoming.