Suit up Stallions! The 2023 Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Homecoming Celebration is flying in on April 10-15 with the theme of “Top Gun Thunder: A Need for Steed.”

“Homecoming offers events for students, alumni and the community,” said ABAC Alumni Director Lynda Fisher. “It is a weeklong list of activities. We primarily focus on the students Monday through Thursday and then the alumni Friday and Saturday."

“The main thing is to get people back on campus,” she said. “They can meet people, reunite with old friends, make some new ones, and just celebrate ABAC.”

This year’s Homecoming festivities include the Gee Haw Whoa Back Rodeo, Homecoming Cookout, Alumni Awards Luncheon, Golden Alumni Gathering welcoming the class of 1973, a Cattlemen’s reunion, a Baptist Student Union/Baptist College Ministries reunion, Remembrance Service, and a Community Plant Sale.

Alumni can put their green thumb to work by purchasing flowers and shrubs from the ABAC Farm Greenhouse at the Community Plant sale on April 13-15 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Alumni Awards Luncheon will be held April 14 at 12:30 p.m. in Gressette Gymnasium. Tickets are $25 and must be purchased by April 7. If any tickets remain after that date, the cost will be $30. No tickets will be sold at the event. Later that day, the Alumni After Party will take place at approximately 9:30 p.m. at the Alumni House patio following the rodeo.

Sports fans will be able to watch a variety of games, starting on April 12 with the ABAC softball team in action at Fillie Field at 2 p.m. Also, the Stallion baseball team will be in action on April 13 at 2 p.m. and a 1 p.m. doubleheader on April 15, all at Stallion Field.

Bull riding and bronco busting will be the theme of the night for the annual Gee Haw Whoa Back Rodeo which begins at 7 p.m. on April 14-15. Tickets are $15 for ages 18 and over, $10 for ages 6-17 and free for ages 5 and under. Current students with an ABAC ID get in free. Events include saddle bronco riding, bareback riding, bull riding, team roping, calf roping, steer wrestling, break-away roping and barrel racing.

On April 15, a Remembrance Service will be held at 10:30 a.m. in the Chapel of All Faiths, honoring the memories of students and alumni who have passed away and those currently serving in our military. An Alumni Cookout will follow at 11:30 a.m. at the Meadows and will feature a campus favorite - ABAC Dining Service’s Executive Chef Jay Johnson’s fried chicken. New this year is Meeting in The Meadows, hosted by the School of Ag and Natural Resources and featuring family events. That will be at the same time for as the cookout. Cookout tickets are $8.50 for adults and $5 for children nine and under.

Prospective students can tour the campus on April 15 during Stallion Day, an event that gives high school students the opportunity to experience a slice of college life. Stallion Day will run from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. at various locations across campus. Registration for Stallion Day may be found at https://events.abac.edu.

The PlantTel Museum Exhibit Opening will take place at ABAC’s Georgia Museum of Agriculture at 3 p.m. on Saturday, April 15.

The Golden Alumni Reunion welcomes the Class of 1973 to gather at Tift Hall on April 15 at 1:30 p.m. The BSU/BCM reunion will start at 1:30 p.m. at the BCM Building, the Student Alumni Council reunion will begin at 3:30 p.m. at the Alumni House Patio, and the Cattlemen’s reunion will be held at Beef Unit #2 starting at 4:30 p.m. The Green and G.O.L.D. (Graduates Of the Last Decade) Social will be held at The Lamplighter Pub starting at 5 p.m. on that same day.

The Homecoming festivities will come to an end with the finals of the Gee Haw Whoa Back rodeo on April 15, where the winner of the Stallion Cup will be announced. The Stallion Cup is awarded to the campus club or organization at ABAC that earns the most points during Homecoming Week.

For information on the 2023 ABAC Homecoming activities or to sign up for an event, interested persons can go to www.abac.edu/homecoming or call 229.391.4900.