Eastern University is throwing open its gates in St. Davids for five days of Homecoming festivities built around a picnic, a football game, a Philadelphia trolley tour and a night of student bowling. The celebration draws together alumni, students, faculty, staff and families connected to Eastern, EBTS and Palmer Theological Seminary.
According to philadelphia.today, this year's Homecoming runs October 7 through 11, 2026, on Eastern's campus and carries the theme The Nest We Build Together, which the outlet says emphasizes relationships and shared experiences that have strengthened the Eastern community for more than 100 years. The lineup blends athletic competitions, alumni gatherings, campus tours and special events, per the same report.
Eastern's own event page lays out several of the specifics. A President's Homecoming Picnic takes place at Valley Forge Field, located at 850 Radnor Street Road, according to eastern.edu. That same field hosts the Homecoming football game, with tickets sold at the door for $15 for adults and $10 for youth.
Trolleys, Bowling and a Look Inside Templeton Hall
One of the weekend's signature offerings is a private trolley tour of Philadelphia that the university's site describes as exploring the stories, landmarks and history connecting Eastern to the Philadelphia region. Philadelphia.today notes the tour is among the special events built into this year's schedule.
Students get their own night out with a bowling event at Devon Lanes that includes shoe and lane rentals for a $5 registration fee, per the school's site. Later in the weekend, Dean Brian Williams leads an art tour through Templeton Hall from 3 to 4 p.m., and the campus also plans a reunion for Templeton Honors College alumni, as philadelphia.today reports.
Awards, Worship and a Networking Mixer
Homecoming opens with worship at a Homecoming Chapel and includes an evening built around alumni recognition, according to philadelphia.today's rundown of the schedule. The formal centerpiece is the Waymakers Award Dinner, which the university's page says begins promptly at 5 p.m. in the Warner Library Atrium, with tickets free for students and Eastern employees and $20 for guests.
The weekend also features a Mocktails & Mingling networking event and a gathering the outlet calls Party on the Hill, both folded into a schedule that philadelphia.today says brings together alumni, families, students, faculty, staff and friends. Ahead of the festivities, Eastern's Alumni Office, Student Development and Love Works are collecting gently used professional clothing and shoes for a student career closet, with donations accepted from September 14 through October 2, per eastern.edu.
A Campus With Deep Roots
Eastern's main campus is in St. Davids, Pennsylvania. Eastern is a Christian institution associated with faith, reason and justice.
Niche mentions FastPass and says almost 99 percent of students receive financial aid.
Past Homecoming weekends have featured a fuller athletic slate, including an intersquad Maroon/White football scrimmage, home games in field hockey and soccer, alumni games in volleyball and basketball, and a baseball intersquad doubleheader, per the university's own recap of an earlier Homecoming Weekend. That same recap describes past years pairing tailgating at O'Hara Field with a barbecue and movie night at Kea-Guffin Hill, alongside a virtual Alumni Award Ceremony and the annual student Fall Festival.
Recognition remains part of the weekend's tradition. Eastern's Templeton Honors College established an annual Templeton Alumni Award in August 2014 in connection with its fifteenth anniversary, according to templeton.eastern.edu, which says the honor recognizes graduates who exemplify the college's values of Truth and Learning, Wisdom and Virtue, and Stewardship and Service.
