Weekend events set for Northern homecoming

Montana State University-Northern is wrapping up a week of events celebrating homecoming with a full slate of events Friday and Saturday.

The Montana State University-Northern Alumni Foundation has been accepting registrations all week and took over trivia night at Old Station Brewery Wednesday to celebrate Homecoming week. The event included special categories with Northern history with prizes for the top three teams.

Early bird registration is today from 3-5 p.m. in the Foundation office in Room 305 in Cowan Hall on the university campus, with registration all day Friday at the office, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

People can see the schedule of events and register online at https://msunfoundation.org/homecoming .

The main events kick off at noon Friday in the Student Union Building with 50-plus year class reunion members invited to a lunch, with Northern Chancellor Greg Kegel. Kegel will speak at the lunch and reunion guests will be invited to share their stories.

Campus tours will be conducted from 2-5 p.m. Friday, starting from Cowan Hall and leaving every 45 minutes.

A Northern Celebration of Culture featuring Western-blues-folk-rock group Counting Coup of Billings runs from 6-9 p.m. in the Cowan Hall courtyard. The event wraps up American Indian Culture Week at Northern and will include Northern's Sweetgrass Society showcasing exhibition dancers.

A Havre Happy Hour is set from 6-8 p.m. Friday with participating establishments donating $1 from every adult beverage sold to support Northern when patrons say they are there for Northern's homecoming. The Alumni Foundation said Vic's Place, the Oxford Sports Bar, Triple Dog Brewing Co., Palace Bar, The Golden Spike and Crawford Distillery are participating.

And members of the 50-plus year class reunion who were on Northern's baseball teams will have a Northern All-Baseball Reunion at 7 p.m. Friday at The Ox.

And Friday is a night of sports as well with the Northern Rodeo starting in the Bigger Better Barn at Great Northern Fairgrounds at 7 p.m., running again at 7 p.m. Saturday.

Saturday's events starts with a tailgate party at Tilleman Field's Second Tier tailgate area starting at 11 a.m. The event includes special Alaska salmon and halibut donated by Seaport Telecom via Northern alum Joe Ashcroft of the Class of 1971. It also includes "tailgate favorite food" and the premiere of Triple Dog's special "Northern Light Beer."

The kickoff for Northern's homecoming game against the Rocky Mountain College Bears is at 1 p.m. at Tilleman Field.

Skylights volleyball plays against University of Montana Western in the Armory Gymnasium at 7 p.m.