The Office of Alumni Affairs and Annual Giving will bring APPtoberfest and the Alumni Beer Garden to Appalachian State alumni and those 21 and over on Oct. 2 at Duck Pond Field.
The idea is to create an event that will bring alumni back to campus and interact with students, Homecoming committee co-chair Tammy McCullars said.
“We have learned through the years that one thing alumni like to do when they come back to campus is to catch up with each other,” McCullars said. “With this event, they can sit and talk with each other or get up and dance. We believe our alumni and friends who normally come to our HC dance on Friday night will enjoy this event.”
Appalachian Mountain Brewery is a sponsor and will provide alcohol at the event. AMB, according to McCullars, is a “trusted vendor” who has helped in the past with #iBackAPP events. #iBackAPP helps raise money for The Appalachian Fund that supports many university programs and scholarships.
“Appalachian Mountain Brewery is proud to be at ASU’s Homecoming game this year,” AMB manager Scott Hinkson said. “We will be supporting our hometown heroes and fans alike with an on-site beer garden in the Raley Parking Lot.”
Wine is also provided by AMB through Wine to Water, the local nonprofit that helps provide communities from all over the world with clean water.
McCullars said proceeds from the alcohol sales will benefit the Alumni Memorial Scholarship and help offset the cost of all Homecoming events provided by The Office of Alumni Affairs & Annual Giving.
The Bantum Rooster Band will be playing at the event, lead singer and Appalachian State alumni class of 2014, Christian Morgan said.
“It’s very evident that the university and all parties involved strive every year to make the homecoming festivities the best they can be,” he said. “We’re ready to rock ‘n’ roll on Friday night!”
Wine to Water representative and alumni class of 2015 representative commented on Wine to Water’s global outreach.
“ASU has encouraged me to give back to the Boone community and be community oriented,” she said. “Working at Wine to Water has allowed Boone to be apart of the global community.”
There will be homecoming mugs, wine glasses and APPtoberfest lederhosen shirts for sale at “Spirit Under the Stars” in addition to food vendors such as Food Services BBQ, McCullars said.
The cost per beer is $5 and $7 for each glass of wine. The beer package is $15 including three beers, and the wine package is $21 including 3 glasses. Both packages come with a ceremonial Homecoming mug.
General admission is $5. Admission for children 10 and under is free.
Story by: Katie Murawski, A&E Reporter