About 2,000 guests are expected to be on campus the weekend of Nov. 1-3 as Southwestern combines two major events on the same weekend: Homecoming and Fall Family Days.

Both events will be very different this year because they will include something that hasn’t been part of Homecoming at Southwestern for more than 60 years: a football game.

Many of Southwestern’s traditional Homecoming activities have been rearranged to enable alumni, students and families to attend the football game on Saturday, Nov. 2, when the Pirates take on Austin College for the second time this year. Tailgating will be held from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and the game begins at 1 p.m.

The homecoming parade – which has usually has been held on Saturday mornings – will now be held on Friday night, Nov. 1, and will take place on Main Street in downtown Georgetown between 7th and 9th streets. The parade will begin at 6:30 p.m. and has a theme of “Be Southwestern.” Nearly 30 floats from students, alumni and local business supporters are expected to participate.

Physical Plant employees have invited all members of the Southwestern community to walk with their Pirate ship float, which has been a big hit at recent Homecoming parades. Anyone interested should dress up in Pirate attire or Southwestern colors and meet for parade line-up at 5:30 p.m. in the parking lot of the Main Street Baptist Church.

Megan Frisque, associate vice president for alumni and parent relations, notes that this won’t be the first time the Southwestern homecoming parade has been held on the Georgetown Square.

“In the 1940s and 50s the parade used to be on the square,” Frisque said.

As soon as the parade ends, there will be a pep rally on the courthouse steps facing Main Street to get fans excited about the game on Saturday.

Not all the weekend will focus on football, though. Some 50 different events are scheduled, including a series of receptions on Friday afternoon that will enable parents and alumni to connect with faculty members. A reception with faculty in the social sciences will be held from 1-1:45 p.m. in the Bishops Lounge, a reception with faculty in the natural sciences will be held from 2-2:45 p.m. in the Fondren-Jones Science Center, a reception with faculty in the humanities will be held from 3-3:45 p.m. in the Bishops Lounge, and a reception with faculty in the fine arts will be held from 4-4:45 p.m. in the  Fine Arts Center.

Southwestern’s oldest Homecoming tradition − the Homecoming Picnic − will be held on the Academic Mall from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday.

The Association of Southwestern University Alumni will present its annual Alumni Awards during a luncheon on Sunday, Nov. 3. Seven alumni will be honored along with Sherry Adrian, associate professor of education, who is receiving the Ms. Homecoming Award.

Students will participate in a series of three Homecoming Cup events over the weekend, ending with a dodgeball tournament Saturday night.

In conjunction with Homecoming, the Williamson Museum will be sponsoring a tour of the historic I.O.O.F. Cemetery behind Southwestern on Saturday, Nov. 2. This year’s tour will feature “World War II Cemetery Tales” and will run from 4-6 p.m. Costumed interpreters will share first-person stories of Georgetown men and women who served during the war, both on the battlefield and on the home front. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the museum of on-site.

Members of the community are invited to participate in the 13th Annual Jameson 5K Fun Run/Walk, which will begin at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 2. Kenda Jameson Evans, a 1992 Southwestern graduate, has organized the run since 2001 in honor of her brother, who graduated in 1990 with a degree in chemistry. The race benefits students majoring in the sciences at Southwestern and has raised more than $73,000 to date. To register for the event, go to www.Jameson5K.com. The race will start and finish on Southwestern Boulevard next to Mundy Hall. Packet pick-up and on-site registration will be available at Mundy Hall on Friday, Nov. 1, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The complete schedule for Homecoming and Reunion Weekend is available at www.sualumni.net/homecoming2013

Anyone on campus for either Homecoming or Fall Family Days can follow the @SouthwesternU Twitter account for updates throughout the weekend. Those attending events are encouraged to tweet photos and updates using the #SUHRW hash tag. Other hash tags that will be used over the weekend include #TheASUA, #BeSouthwestern and #JJ5K. Photos and information also will be shared on The Association for Southwestern University Alumni Facebook page.

The popular SING! Event – which has been a mainstay of Homecoming in past years – has been moved to February 2014 so as not to overbook Homecoming weekend this year.