This week, 4,000 visitors are predicted to set foot on campus to celebrate the fall's trademark event.
Expectations are rising for Homecoming, usually the largest alumni, student and faculty gathering of the year.
In addition to the traditional night parade, night ceremonies and bonfire on Friday, this year's weekend will include a record 31 class mini-reunions, a tour of Jose Clemente Orozco's mural and a fall lecture series titled "Executing Innovation: Beyond the Idea."
Alumni communications director Diana Lawrence said this year's Homecoming will be "both traditional and modern."
"We've organized events that make it fun for everyone, no matter what their age or interests," Lawrence said. "Alumni love coming back to reconnect with classmates and friends, visit with professors, enjoy the peak of fall foliage, root for their favorite team and see what's new. You can feel the energy and excitement on campus."
On Friday, after religion professor Randall Balmer's first-year book lecture on "The River Why," alumni, faculty and upperclassmen will begin to gather for an evening of tradition.
On Saturday, the Hill Winds Society will lead a history and traditions walking tour, while alumni will attend a pregame tailgate.
At 1:30 p.m., Dartmouth will play its Homecoming game against Yale University at Memorial Field.
This year, the Classes of 1982 and 1987 will lead the night parade on Friday, which will include students from the Geisel School of Medicine, Thayer School of Engineering and Tuck School of Business, as well as 26 sports teams and several marching bands.
President Phil Hanlon and his wife Gail Gentes will also ride in the parade.
The Freshman Sweep will travel to each residential cluster to pick up students and join the crowd.
"You not only walk all throughout campus, but you also walk through the center of town," Abigail Munroe '16 said. "People are waving at you because they know it's coming. You're just proud to be whatever year you are."
After making its way around the Green, the crowd will take a break in front of Dartmouth Hall for the night ceremonies with speeches from Hanlon, alumni relations vice president Martha Beattie '76, football tri-captain Bronson Green '14 and field hockey co-captain Jennifer Weissbach '14.
Finally, at 8:30 p.m., the freshmen will circle around the bonfire, which will be adorned with their class number.
Far from "just a pile of wood", the bonfire is a symbol that helps increase older students' interest in the freshmen, Munroe said.
"It's this little spark, and it grows into this whole thing that is engulfed in flames," Munroe said. "People probably remember their first Homecoming and they remember what it was like to be a freshman. They're excited that you're going to experience this for the first time, because they know how exciting it was for them."
As a freshman, Munroe was surprised at the amount of support her class received as they ran around the bonfire.
"I was told that when I ran around it, people were going to yell mean things at me and that I needed to keep going," Munroe said. "There were actually a lot of people who made signs like Keep going,' [or] We love you '16s.' It's amazing that even though it's the freshmen who start out running, you feel like the whole school's around you."
Asha Pollydore '17 said she is a little wary after hearing that some freshmen run a 100 laps plus the number of their class year.
"I plan on maybe only going 17, and I will probably be dying after that," Pollydore said. "But I'm still pretty excited. It's going to be all 1,117 of us doing something together, and that's just great class spirit. I want us to just get a little closer as a class."
Deep Singh '17 said he only wishes that the bonfire will be "big and warm."
"Honestly, it doesn't really matter too much what the ceremony looks like," Singh said. "It's kind of like a ceremonial dance around the bonfire as we celebrate the unity of our brethren. I think just the idea that there's going to be a lot of people there, we'll be able to make more friends and extend our friend groups is appealing in itself."
