Wartburg College will celebrate Homecoming Thursday through Sunday, Oct. 18-21, with the theme “True Life, I’m a Knight.”

The public is invited to attend student variety shows, the parade, Renaissance Faire, football game and concerts. Passes to the Wartburg-Waverly Sports & Wellness Center will be $5 (half-price for adults) on Friday and Sunday and free Saturday.

New this year will be a campus-wide decorating competition among college departments.

“We feel that this is the year to really make sure everyone on campus is participating in Homecoming festivities,” said Josie Suchoumel, a Homecoming Spirit Committee member.

Homecoming queen candidates are Alexandra Ciota, Albert Lea, Minn.; Randene Davis, Glenville, Minn.; Hollis Hanson-Pollock, Mingo; Sara Hummel, Spirit Lake; Kelsey Scherven, Mound, Minn., and Carley Wernimont, Pocahontas. King candidates are Taylor Boeckholt, Milford; Alex Brannaman,  Mount Vernon; Joshua Hones, Pella; Curt Hruska, New Hampton; David Nelson, Rochester, Minn., and Joshua Trueblood, Bettendorf.

Among the Homecoming events open to the public are:

• Kastle Kapers, the student variety show, at 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 18, and 9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 19. The Homecoming court will be introduced at Thursday’s show. The coronation of the king and queen will follow Friday night’s performance.
• The Homecoming parade at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 20. It will begin by traveling south on Fifth Street NW from the intersection with Fifth Avenue NW, then will turn west on Bremer Avenue, and finish at the intersection of Bremer Avenue and 12^th Street NW. Former Wartburg Choir director Dr. Jim Fritschel ’51 and his wife, Barbara ’52, are the grand marshals.
• The Renaissance Faire from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20, featuring food, crafts and entertainment sponsored by student groups, local nonprofits and various vendors.
• The Homecoming football game at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20, at Walston-Hoover Stadium against the University of Dubuque, defending Iowa Conference champion. Athletic Hall of Fame inductees will be recognized before the game and the Homecoming Court will be introduced at halftime.
• The Wartburg Community Symphony concert at 8 p.m. Saturday in Neumann Auditorium, featuring Russian-born pianist Daria Rabotkina, winner of the 2007 Concert Artists Guild International Competition.
• The Wartburg Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band in concert Sunday, Oct. 21, at 2 p.m. in Neumann Auditorium.
• The Wartburg Choir’s Homecoming Concert at 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 21in the Wartburg Chapel, followed by the 75^th Wartburg Choir Alumni Reunion Concert.

Campus tours will be available from the Admissions Office on the second floor of Whitehouse Business Center between 3 and 4 p.m. Friday and at 9 a.m. Saturday.

The Wartburg Bookstore will have extended hours from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Sunday.

Classes celebrating reunions this year include ’07, ’02, ’97, ’92, ’87, ’82, ’77, ’72, ’67 and Golden Knights— ’62 and earlier.

A full schedule of Homecoming activities can be found at https://www.wartburg.edu/homecoming.