The University of Louisiana at Lafayette Alumni Center will fling open its doors the morning of Homecoming Day.
An open house will be held from 9-11:30 a.m. Saturday at the center. A breakfast buffet and beverages will be served. The event draws a range of graduates, including those from other states. Anyone, however, can attend.
“It’s a friendly, welcoming atmosphere that gets everyone in the mood for tailgating and the game,” said Cheryl Stoute, open house event chair. Attractions include a balloon artist, face painting and fun jump. Attendees can watch the Homecoming Parade from the center’s front lawn.
The parade will begin at 10 a.m. at Blackham Coliseum. It will travel east on Johnston Street, then turn right onto St. Mary Boulevard. Convertibles carrying the queen and king and other members of the Homecoming Court will stop in front of the Alumni Center for a toast.
The parade will feature floats built and decorated by members of student organizations, who will ride in the parade. Parade marshals will be former Ragin’ Cajuns football players Jake Delhomme and Brian Mitchell.
Others who will participate in the parade include the Pride of Acadiana Marching Band, University President Dr. Joseph Savoie, Alumni Association board president Chantelle Aaron, 2018 Outstanding Alumni honorees and UL Athletics Hall of Fame inductees.
A Zydeco Brunch will be offered from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Cypress Lake Dining Hall in the Student Union. Tickets for an all-you-can-eat buffet can be purchased for $9.99 per person. Students can use their meal plans.
Diners can eat duck and andouille gumbo, crab cakes, boudin potato skins, French toast, Cajun-smothered seven steak, alligator sausage hash, scrambled eggs, jalapeno smoked cheddar grits, sweet potato cane syrupy cathead biscuits, crawfish étouffée, barbecue shrimp, sweet dough pies with salted caramel, and beignets.
Tailgating will start at 1 p.m. outside Cajun Field at the Alumni tent at the soccer and track and field parking lot on Reinhardt Drive. Cracklings and jambalaya will be served. Tickets for the event are $15.
Students can enjoy food, soft drinks and listen to music played by a DJ during tailgating that will be held at 1 p.m. at Bourgeois Park.
The game day Cajun Walk will begin at 1:45 p.m. Fans will line Reinhardt Drive near Cajun Field to support football players and coaches as they walk into the stadium on their way to the locker room.
The Pride of Acadiana Marching Band’s pregame performance will begin at 3:50 p.m. at Cajun Field.
The Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns and the New Mexico State Aggies will face off at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 13, at Cajun Field
Saturday night, the Christiana Smith African-American Alumni Chapter will celebrate its annual “Sweet Sounds of Sharing.” Proceeds from the reception will benefit the Christiana Smith Endowed Scholarship Fund. The event will be held at 8 p.m. at the Cajundome Convention Center’s Mardi Gras Ballroom.
Information about game day tickets and parking is available on the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns website at https://ragincajuns.com/
Visit louisiana.edu/homecoming to learn more about Homecoming 2018 events.