EIU Media Relations

EIU Invites All to Join Homecoming 2021 Events

[CONTRIBUTING AUTHOR: CLAIRE RING] 

(Charleston, IL) – With the majority of its Homecoming events quickly approaching, Eastern Illinois University is once again preparing to celebrate its University pride with students, alumni, faculty, families, and friends in the community in the week leading up to EIU’s October 22-24 Homecoming weekend.

This year, Eastern’s homecoming theme is “Close or Apart, Panthers at Heart!” with events themed around the health and safety of the EIU and Charleston communities. This year’s Homecoming week promises time-honored traditions like the parade, pep rally, pancake breakfast, tailgate, and the football game, while still offering a spirit-filled week with a variety of opportunities for EIU students, employees, alumni and community advocates to demonstrate their Panther Pride.

Several events will take place throughout the week of Homecoming, including the “Big Blue Give!” Food Pantry drive, the “Panthers at Heart” TikTok challenge, the Spirit Cup challenge, Golf Cart Trivia Giveaways daily from 8 a.m. to noon, and Paint the Town Blue, thanks to participating Charleston-area businesses.

EIU’s 2021 Homecoming events by day include:

• Monday, October 18
  - Activity Kits for Seniors taking place all day at the Hilltop Nursing Home
  - Kickoff on the Quad from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the Library Quad
  - Homecoming Royalty Coronation starting at 7 p.m. in the MLK Union Grand Ballroom

• Tuesday, October 19
  - Family Fun Night Scavenger Hunt from 5 to 7 p.m. throughout the community

• Wednesday, October 20
  - Token Scavenger Hunt from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. across campus
  - Faculty & Staff Blue-B-Que Luncheon from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Doudna Fine Arts Center concourse

• Thursday, October 21
  - Cosmic Bowling Mixer from 7 to 9 p.m. at the MLK Jr. Union Bowling Lanes

• Friday, October 22
  - Field Day from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Library Quad
  - 50^th Class Reunions -- Classes of 1970 and 1971 starting at 4 p.m. in the MLK Jr. Union

• Saturday, October 23
  - Rotary Pancake Breakfast from 6:30 to 10 a.m. in Dirty’s parking lot
  - 23^rd Annual Homecoming 2.5K Race starting at 9 a.m. on 6^th and 7^th Streets
  - 2021 Homecoming Parade beginning at 9:30 a.m. on 6^th and 7^th Streets
  - Alumni Tent City from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at O’Brien Field Tailgate area
  - Homecoming Tailgate from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at O’Brien Stadium parking lot
  - Homecoming Football Game starting at 2 p.m. at O’Brien Field
  - Distinguished Alumni Awards Dinner starting at 6 p.m. in the MLK Jr. Union Grand Ballroom

More details about each of these EIU Homecoming events is available at https://www.eiu.edu/homecoming/.

For more information about EIU, or to learn more about its growing assortment of programs and services, visit the university’s website at www.eiu.edu, or call EIU’s public information office at (217) 581-7400.