About 1,000 Knox College alumni and friends will be gathering on campus for the College’s 2019 Homecoming, which takes place on Friday through Sunday, November 1-3.

The schedule is packed with dozens of events, including an all-class reception, Prairie Fire football and cross country competitions, the Mary Filosa Brown '82 Memorial 5K Walk/Run, a guided tour and nature walk at Green Oaks Biological Field Station, an alumni art exhibit, Homecoming Convocation, and more. Knox classes that graduated in years ending in 9 or 4 will be celebrating reunions, with the Class of 1969 observing its 50th Reunion. And, of course, one of the enduring attractions of Homecoming is the opportunity to spend time visiting with former classmates, professors, and other friends.

Here’s the full Homecoming schedule, and here are five things to know about the 2019 festivities at Knox: 

1. Whale Watch

Saturday’s Homecoming events include an afternoon tour of Phase I renovation work at Umbeck Science-Mathematics Center (SMC). As the current renovations near completion, SMC includes a new two-story atrium along with five modern classrooms and a collaborative learning commons. The atrium also houses a 55-foot fin whale skeleton that’s being reassembled by science and art faculty and students that will be on view during the tour.  

2. What’s Up, Kids?

If younger family members are part of your Homecoming entourage, they’ll definitely find something fun to do. Make sure to check out two of Saturday’s events, the Campus Tour and Admission Information Session for Alumni Children, which starts at Alumni Hall, and Storytime in Seymour Library.

3. Celebrating Athletes and a Legendary Coach

Knox-Lombard Athletic Hall of Fame inductees will be honored during halftime of the Prairie Fire football game on Saturday afternoon. One of Saturday night’s highlights will be the premiere of Win. Lose. Love. That’s a documentary directed and produced by Jordan Anderson '19 as a tribute to longtime Knox coach and athletic director Harley Knosher. 

4. Remembrances and Dedications

Members of the Knox community who are no longer with us will be remembered fondly during Homecoming weekend. The dedication of the Jerry '68 and Diane Scott Stubbs '69 Memorial Garden takes place at 1:30 p.m. Saturday on the Post Hall patio. The Trisha Hurst labyrinth, honoring a longtime Knox employee, will be dedicated at 2 p.m. Saturday on the west lawn of Seymour Library. A tree dedication and celebration of life for Chris Heimann '04 will be at 4 p.m. Saturday between Beta House and Seymour Library. 

5. Share on Social

We love to see the Homecoming photos, videos, and other memories that Knox alumni and friends post on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Share your favorites by using the hashtag #KnoxHC so that Knox can see the posts. We plan to repost some of them on the College’s social media channels.