Rutgers Day 2019 Coming Saturday, April 27
Rutgers Day, the university’s annual welcome and show-and-tell for New Jersey residents of all ages, will take place Saturday, April 27, rain or shine.
The event offers more than 600 free programs featuring hands-on demonstrations, interactive activities, and student performances, including cultural dances, live bands and martial arts demonstrations.
Last year, a record crowd exceeding 100,000 visitors learned firsthand about the university’s research, teaching and service. The celebration, which begins at 10 a.m., includes programming at all three of the university’s locations – Camden, New Brunswick and Newark.
Rutgers Day also coincides with Alumni Weekend at Rutgers-New Brunswick, which gives alumni the opportunity to connect with old friends and classmates while learning about all the exciting things happening at their alma mater.
When planning your Rutgers Day experience, be sure to follow the @RutgersDay handle and share your special moments to the hashtag #RutgersDay for the chance to see your photos or video featured on Rutgers social media. For directions, maps and complete program details for all locations, visit https://rutgersday.rutgers.edu/.
Program highlights include:
NEW BRUNSWICK
College Avenue: At 10:30 a.m., cheer on hundreds of alumni, Rutgers Marching Scarlet Knights, Rutgers cheerleaders, graduating seniors, and the Scarlet Knight mascot as they march down College Avenue for the Rutgers Day and All-Alumni Parade.
Come see the newly dedicated Paul Robeson Plaza and visit the Paul Robeson 100 tent to learn about this famous alumnus and his remarkable life as a scholar, athlete, actor, singer and global activist and the rich legacy he left the university and the world.
Busch: Tour two of the university’s new state-of-the-art facilities – the Richard Weeks Hall of Engineering and the Chemistry and Chemical Biology buildings. Transport yourself to a new world with virtual reality streaming, watch drones take flight, test your surgical skills, visit the stuffed animal health clinic and practice your elevator pitch “Shark Tank” style.
Cook/Douglass: Watch horses run on a high-speed treadmill, follow the life cycle of a tree from seed to saw and take a tour of a research greenhouse. Learn about 50 years of nutrition education in New Jersey with cooking and nutrition demos from each of the past five decades. Get up close and personal with your lower intestines on a walk through a giant inflatable colon. Stop by the New Jersey Folk Festival – one of only a handful of folk festivals in the United States managed by undergraduate students – which turns 45 this year.
CAMDEN
Participate in dozens of hands-on activities and games – from building a mobile computing device and solving virtual reality puzzles to learning how to tie a traditional Sikh turban and designing your own graduation cap.
This year, Camden also celebrates the fifth anniversary of its Comic Con with a convention that honors the artistry and cultural phenomenon of comic books and associated media. This free, all-ages event links the community of Camden and South Jersey to comic creators, writers, artists, dealers and fellow enthusiasts. Explore the concepts of education, literacy and artistry through the medium while meeting your favorite artists, perusing comics, picking up rare issues, taking part in cosplay and celebrating the love of all things “nerdy.” The convention is from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Athletic and Fitness Center, 301 Linden St., Camden.
NEWARK
Rutgers-Newark's second annual Culture Con is a unique celebration that cuts across all comic book genres and focuses on diversity, inclusion and representation with free games, cosplay, 3D printmaking and lots more. Check out vendors displaying their artwork, live performances and special panels discussing the trending issues of inclusion and representation. Celebrity guests include JW Cortes of Fox’s hit show Gotham and members of the band B.E.R., featured in the Cartoon Network show Teen Titans Go! Culture Con is from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Express Newark, 54 Halsey St., Newark.
Rutgers Day festivities at Rutgers-Newark also include International Jazz Day from noon to 5 p.m. at Express Newark featuring special guest jazz violinist Regina Carter. NJPAC Jazz for Teens, Arts High School, Young Traditions and Jazz House Kids Dynasty Band will celebrate the music of Count Basie during the event.