As each leaf begins to fall through the brisk air, Homecoming week for the University of Minnesota Twin-Cities grows a little bit closer.

Saturday, October 14

Homecoming week, with the theme "Homecoming Never Graduates," begins on October 14th with the Day of Service. On this day, students and alumni come together to engage in community service opportunities all around campus hosted by the University of Minnesota Alumni Association. Although there are dozens of activities through the week, here are some highlights of the coming week that you won't want to miss!

Sunday, October 15

On Sunday, October 15, the Flag Football Tournament begins. The preliminaries begin at 11 a.m. with four different brackets: Greek life, general student, housing and residential life, and unified sports. Any student at the school is eligible to participate. New this year, the unified bracket consists of a mixture of Special Olympics athletes and students in fraternities and sororities.

Monday, October 16

Party on the Plaza will take place on Monday, October 16. This event will be held on the Coffman Memorial Union Front Plaza from 5:30-8:00 p.m. It will include student performances, free food, prizes and tons of fun for all students. Party on the Plaza is an opportunity for students to engage in a space full of spirit and pride. It is also an opportunity to properly kick off the Homecoming week festivities. There will be performance by DOOM Dance Crew, National Panhellenic Council, and the Stone Arch Isles.

Wednesday, October 18

The Gopher Plunge--a brand new event this year--will take place prior to the Flag Football Championship on Wednesday, October 18 in front of TCF Bank Stadium. This event involves students, faculty, staff and alumni taking a plunge into freezing water to help raise money for Special Olympics - Minnesota. After the plunge, the flag football semi-final games will be held at the stadium at 6:40 p.m. and the championship game will begin at 9:10 p.m.

Thursday, October 19

The Office for Fraternity and Sorority Life will host its annual "Lip Sync" competition on the Coffman Front Plaza on Thursday, October 19 at 7:00 p.m. Make sure to arrive early in order to get a good spot near the stage. Only one team will win, so be sure to cheer loud enough for your favorite performance!

Friday, October 20

One of the most popular Homecoming celebrations is the concert on Friday, October 20. At 7:00pm, Ty Dolla $ign, Tinashe and COIN will be performing at TCF Bank Stadium. Tickets are $25 for students and $45 for the general public.

Saturday, October 21

Finally, Saturday, October 21 is game day, a cherished event for UMN students and alumni, alike. The Gophers will take on Illinois at TCF Bank Stadium at 2:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online. That's a wrap for Homecoming events, so do not forget to have fun and cheer on your Golden Gophers!