Lafayette-West Lafayette Weekend Update! Looking for a fun Indiana weekend getaway? Or do you live in this area and are looking for entertainment close by? Check out the endless possibilities for fun events happening this upcoming weekend in or near Lafayette-West Lafayette, Indiana.
Homecoming traditions start this Thursday, October 10! Boiler up and be part of the tradition! The Purdue Homecoming Parade takes place from 8-9pm and will feature student organizations participating as walking groups, golf carts, and floats. Celebrating the closing of Purdue’s 150th anniversary, this year's theme is “Giant Leaps into the Future” to look forward on the evolution of Purdue! The grand marshal will be Olympic silver medalist Steele Johnson accompanied by the visiting astronauts for Saturday's game. And, this is the first year the parade will be televised too! Location: Memorial Mall to Krach Lawn
Fun at Homecoming 
Boilermaker
Boiler Up! Every Friday, typically from 12-3pm (times may vary) before Purdue Home Football Games, take a ride on the Boilermaker Special! Pick-ups will be in front of Stewart Center and run every 15 minutes. Look for the marquee! Check their website and/or Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/ReamerClub) for time changes, updates and cancellations.
On Oct. 12 come to the Sesquicentennial Finale: Homecoming. You won’t want to miss the postgame giant Block P party on the newly opened State Street. The finale celebration will feature live entertainment, amazing experiences and Purdue Marketplace, where you can enjoy food and beverages prepared by fellow Boilermakers.
An astronaut reunion will take place during October’s Homecoming festivities to celebrate the end of Purdue’s sesquicentennial, “150 Years of Giant Leaps.” The public is welcome to attend a meet and greet with the astronauts 9:30-10:30 a.m. on October 12 at Homecoming Tent Row, located near the Neil Armstrong Hall of Engineering. Pre-signed headshots of the astronauts will be distributed, as well as commemorative posters and buttons, while supplies last.
The astronauts also will be recognized on the field during halftime of the Boilermakers’ game against the University of Maryland.
Space fans can also visit NASA’s Journey to Tomorrow Traveling Exhibit on October 11 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Oct. 12 from 9 a.m. to noon on the south side of Lambert Fieldhouse. The Journey to Tomorrow exhibit trailer is a 53-foot exhibition offering an interactive learning environment that highlights NASA’s air and space research and technology. Visitors will have the opportunity to interact with touchscreen monitors and to learn about how NASA improves aviation, lands rovers on Mars and keeps astronauts healthy. The Journey to Tomorrow also includes hands-on displays featuring a glovebox and dynamic planet simulator; models of NASA X-Planes, the Orion multipurpose crew vehicle, and NASA’s new rocket, the Space Launch System; and features an authentic moon rock brought to Earth by crew from the Apollo 17 lunar landing mission.
Fans, especially families, looking for fun before home games will want to check out the popular Boilermaker Crossing. Meet-the-team events, inflatable games, and interactive opportunities highlight the list of activities. The Boilermaker Crossing is free and open to fans of all ages. Located in the Sally & Bob Weist Plaza, between Mackey Arena and Holloway Gymnasium, Boilermaker Crossing opens 3 hours before kickoff.
Thill on the Hill takes place 90 minutes prior to kickoff. Join the musical fun as the Purdue "All-American" Marching Band and auxiliaries entertain the crowd on Slayter Hill with a preview of their Homecoming halftime selections, trivia, and more! Free and open to the public.
12pm GAME TIME! Cheer on our Purdue Football team as they take on Maryland. #Boilerup
For more information about these events and other events happening this weekend in Lafayette-West Lafayette, check out our website at HomeOfPurdue.com.
