BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Titan pride will fill every corner of campus at Illinois Wesleyan University during the 2024 Homecoming and Family Weekend on Oct. 3-6.
The four-day celebration features everything from tailgating to trivia, bringing together IWU students, alumni, families, faculty and staff. A full schedule of events and additional details are available at iwu.edu/homecoming.
“Homecoming and Family Weekend at Illinois Wesleyan is a time-honored tradition for students, alumni, faculty, staff, the local community and friends of IWU. We can't wait to welcome Titans, old and new, to campus to come together and celebrate their Titan pride with this action-packed week of events," said Director of Alumni Engagement Olivia Ruff '19.
Time-honored traditions will continue, such as class reunions, panel presentations, receptions, performances and open houses. Football celebrations will begin with tailgating events from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday in the Shirk Center parking lot before the football game against Washington University at 1 p.m. at Tucci Stadium.
Titan fans over the age of 21 can stop by Tommy’s restaurant in Hansen Student Center from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday to enjoy an “IWU Brew” — a golden ale beer released in collaboration with DESTIHL Brewery.
Among various events honoring alumni is the Innovators and Entrepreneurs Panel and
Lunch from 12-1:30 p.m. Friday at Hansen Student Center, where Steve Dudash '99 will
be recognized as IWU’s Entrepreneur of the Year. The 2024 Illinois Wesleyan University
Alumni Awards will take place from 6-8 p.m. Friday in Young Main Lounge at the Memorial
Center, with the Distinguished Alumni Award presented to Mark Denzler '93 of Springfield; the Loyalty Award named to Greg and Coe Gardner '60 of Phoenix, Arizona; and the Robert M. Montgomery Outstanding Young Alumni Award
going to Babawande Afolabi '10 of Osun, Nigeria.
The 1850 Market and Family Fun will return this year to the Eckley Quad from 9:30
a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday with local businesses, small shops and makers selling art,
food and other handmade goods. A family fun zone will also be set up on the quad with
bounce houses, inflatable slides and face painting.
A special event this year is a performance by actor James Sutorius '67 titled, “My Life with Will: An Afternoon with Will Shakespeare and James Sutorius '67.” The one-man show will take place 3-5 p.m. Friday at McPherson Hall’s Jerome Mirza Theatre, highlighting Sutorius’s half-century acting career on the stage where it all began. A veteran character actor of film, TV and voiceovers, Sutorius describes his classical and contemporary work in theatre as what has sustained him over the years.
Various musical performances will take place throughout the weekend, including live music by the West MacQueen Street Band with Rick Simkins '79, IWU Pep Band, Jazz Band and the School of Music Symphony Orchestra and Concert Choir.
Attendees are encouraged to stop by Homecoming Headquarters in Hansen Student Center for a map, name tag and list of events upon arrival to campus.