KEARNEY – This celebration is sure to have a fairy-tale ending.
The University of Nebraska at Kearney is hosting homecoming next week, with a variety of campus and community events set to a “Far, Far Away at UNK” storybook theme.
This year’s festivities begin Monday and continue through Saturday, Oct. 29, so break out the blue and gold and get ready for a good time.
A UNK and community tradition, the annual homecoming parade is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday in downtown Kearney. The route starts at the intersection of 24th Street and Central Avenue and progresses south on Central Avenue, west on Railroad Street, north on Third Avenue, west on 21st Street, south on Eighth Avenue and west on 20th Street before ending at Ninth Avenue near Pioneer Park.
More than 70 entries are registered so far, and there’s still time for businesses, nonprofits, school bands and UNK organizations to sign up. The deadline is 5 p.m. Monday. To register, visit unk.edu/homecoming and complete the online form. There is no cost, and awards are presented to the top bands, as well as the best commercial and nonprofit entries.
For more information, contact the Office of Student Engagement at 308-865-8523 or nsu@unk.edu.
Another popular event, the state’s largest lip-sync contest, is 7 p.m. Thursday at the Health and Sports Center. The public is invited to watch UNK student groups perform their choreographed dances during this entertaining competition. The homecoming king and queen are crowned immediately after the event.
Eight finalists for UNK homecoming royalty will be announced 5 p.m. Monday during a pep rally at the Bell Tower on campus.
Livestreams of the lip-sync competition, royalty crowning and homecoming parade will be available here.
The nationally-ranked Loper football team faces Northwest Missouri State at 2 p.m. Saturday at Cope Stadium, with pregame activities beginning at noon in the parking lot. The UNK Alumni Association is hosting its annual “Brews and Brats Tailgate” in Loperville and there will be live music.
Homecoming royalty and UNK Athletic Hall of Fame inductees are recognized during the game, and the UNK Sapphires Dance Team and Pride of the Plains Marching Band perform. The UNK swim team will host a homecoming scrimmage 5 p.m. Friday at Kearney High School.
Other homecoming activities include the Distinguished Alumni Awards Luncheon at 11:30 a.m. Friday in the Nebraskan Student Union Ponderosa Room and the One Room, One Teacher induction ceremony at 3:30 p.m. that day in the College of Education building. The new antelope sculpture will be dedicated 1:30 p.m. Friday near the west edge of Randall Hall and the Athletic Hall of Fame Banquet and induction ceremony is 5:30 p.m. that evening in the Ponderosa Room.
UNK HOMECOMING SCHEDULE
Monday, Oct. 24
5 p.m. – Pep rally and royalty finalists announced (Bell Tower)
5:45 p.m. – Window decorating (Downtown Kearney)
Tuesday, Oct. 25
4:30 p.m. – Adventure Race (Bell Tower and Campus Greens)
7:30 p.m. – Collegium and Men’s Chorus Concert (Fine Arts Recital Hall)
Wednesday, Oct. 26
5 p.m. – Loper Feud (Nebraskan Student Union, Ponderosa Room)
7:30 p.m. – Kearney Area Percussion Ensemble Concert (Fine Arts Recital Hall)
Thursday, Oct. 27
5:30 p.m. – Kearney Quarterly After Hours (Cunningham’s on the Lake, 610 Talmadge St.)
7 p.m. – Lip-sync contest and royalty crowning (Health and Sports Center)
Friday, Oct. 28
11:30 a.m. – Distinguished Alumni Awards Luncheon (Nebraskan Student Union, Ponderosa Room)
1:30 p.m. – “The Loper” sculpture dedication (26th Street Mall near west edge of Randall Hall)
2:30 p.m. – Chemistry Department’s Don Fox Memorial Lecture (Copeland Hall, Room 131)
3:30 p.m. – One Room, One Teacher Induction Ceremony (College of Education Atrium)
5 p.m. – Snack assembly (Nebraskan Student Union)
5 p.m. – UNK Swim Team Homecoming Scrimmage (Kearney High School, 2702 W. 11th St.)
5:30 p.m. – Athletic Hall of Fame Banquet (Nebraskan Student Union, Ponderosa Room)
6 p.m. – Fraternity and Sorority Alumni Social (Fanatics, 2021 Central Ave.)
6 p.m. – ROTC Alumni Social (American Legion, 1223 Central Ave.)
Saturday, Oct. 29
10 a.m. – Homecoming Parade (Downtown Kearney)
Noon – UNK Alumni Brews and Brats Tailgate at Loperville (Cope Stadium)
2 p.m. – UNK Football vs. Northwest Missouri State (Cope Stadium)
5 p.m. – Fraternity and Sorority Alumni Tours (URN Commons)
6 p.m. – ROTC Alumni Banquet (Younes Conference Center)
