Friday's Annual Cougar Crawl and Saturday's Gold Gala Highlights GCC's 2017 Fall Fest

Genesee Symphony Orchestra is the First Concert in the new Call Arena

Batavia, NY (09/13/2017) — Genesee Community College's "Fall Fest - Cougar Weekend" is just around the corner and alumni, students, friends of the College, supporters and members of the community are invited to enjoy some of the many homecoming events taking place on Friday and Saturday, September 22 - 23, 2017. The two-day schedule for the homecoming weekend of events follows.

Friday, September 22, 2017 - Cougar Crawl in Downtown Batavia

The third annual "Cougar Crawl" invites the public to walk about downtown Batavia with stops at local establishments for food, drink and discount specials largely featuring GCC alumni businesses on Friday, September 22, 2017 from 5 - 8 p.m. Cougar Crawlers will enjoy seeing the return of GCC's fun 50th Anniversary banners that are once again hanging in downtown Batavia.

"This is turning out to be one of the most popular alumni events of the year," Tammy Arneth, GCC director of Development and Alumni Affairs said. "We highlight some of our alumni who work and own businesses in downtown Batavia and we're looking forward to another entertaining night that ends with a bash at TF Browns."

Like last year, the Cougar Crawl begins at City Slickers at 59 Main Street in Batavia and includes stops at YNGodess at 73 East Main Street, Sweet Pea's Cupcakery Café at 23 Jackson Street, Valle Jewelers at 21 Jackson Street, The Hidden Door at 202 East Main Street, and Center Street Smokehouse at 20 Center Street. The night concludes at TF Browns at 214 East Main Street with the "Cougar Crawl Bash" from 8 - 10 p.m. The party includes a live DJ as well as food and prizes. Tickets for the Cougar Crawl are $15. Contact Tammy Arneth at tlarneth@genesee.edu or stop by the GCC External Affairs Office at the Main Campus to purchase tickets.

Saturday, September 23, 2017 - Events All Day at the Batavia Campus

The fun continues on Saturday with the return of the popular car cruise in GCC's north parking lot. Deemed "Rods and Rock," classic cars, trucks and motorcycles will converge at 10 a.m. through 4 p.m. Meanwhile, the public can enjoy the Open House and Tours of the new Student Success Center and the Richard C. Call Arena. Visitors will see both floors of the new facilities including the new press box and Fitness Center at the Call Arena.

There will also be plenty to do at the main campus building with the children's "Cougar Den" offering all kinds of fun activities for those young at heart in the cafeteria. In addition, the Craft and Vendor Fair in the William W. Stuart Forum will feature more than 15 different vendors from One World Projects to Perfectly Posh, Tastefully Simple to Tina the Zebra Lady, Lilla Rose Haircessaries to Solar Lighthouses by Brenda, and much more! Visitors can purchase signed copies of the book "Genesee Community College: The First 50 Years," that was written by esteemed faculty members Larry Barnes and Ruth Andes, who are now retired.

This year's most spectacular event for the annual Fall Fest will surely be the "Gold Gala," the first musical concert in the new Richard C. Call Arena by the College's orchestra-in-residence, the Genesee Symphony Orchestra. Led by Conductor and Music Director S. Shade Zajac, the GSO is presenting a variety of musical selections especially arranged for this one-time event under the theme, "Lollapalooza Gold Gala." Music by Gershwin, Stravinsky, Barber, John Adams and Saint-Saens are among the composers that will delight and dazzle guests under GCC's 50th Anniversary theme, "Our true-blue past - Your golden future."

A dessert reception with light refreshments will immediately follow the concert in the Atrium of the Call Arena. The concert is free with general admission seating on a first-come, first-served basis.

After the Gold Gala performance concert-goers and the public at large are invited to watch the men's and women's co-ed Alumni Soccer game at 7:30 p.m. under the lights of the Turf Soccer Field adjacent to the Call Arena. Sign-ups are still being accepted by contacting Tammy Arneth.

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