When the first honeybees arrived in Manitoba in 1863, nobody could have predicted that more than 160 years later they would become a signature attraction of a university homecoming weekend. But that is exactly what awaits visitors to Brandon University's Homecoming 2026, a four-day celebration running September 11 through 14 that brings together alumni, faculty, staff, and the wider community for a weekend of reunions, rooftop beehive tours, stargazing, and Bobcats soccer.
The weekend marks a series of milestone anniversaries for the university's alumni, with the Homecoming Banquet recognizing special anniversary class years and celebrating the outstanding achievements of BU alumni. For many, it will be the first time in decades they have walked the halls of the campus that helped shape their lives.
Brandon University's story stretches back more than a century. The institution began as Brandon College, founded in 1899 after Toronto industrialist William Davies and his sister-in-law Emily Davies pledged $25,000 to establish a Baptist college in the growing prairie city. On July 13, 1900, Mrs. Davies laid the cornerstone of the first building at the corner of 18th Street and Lorne Avenue, part of the present campus. The college weathered the Great Depression, two world wars, and a financial crisis in 1938 when the Baptist Union of Western Canada could no longer support it, kept alive by an exceptional display of generosity from the citizens of western Manitoba. In 1967, Brandon College received its charter as Brandon University, and the institution has grown ever since.
Homecoming itself has become an annual tradition hosted by the Brandon University Alumni Association, typically held in the fall as a chance for graduates of both Brandon College and Brandon University to return to their alma mater. The weekend is built around class reunions, with the Alumni Office providing reunion planning kits and support for organizers hoping to reconnect with former classmates. The Saturday evening Homecoming Banquet and Awards Dinner is the centrepiece, where special anniversary class years are recognized and the university celebrates the outstanding achievements of BU alumni.
This year's schedule is packed with both returning favourites and new offerings. The weekend kicks off Thursday with a welcome back breakfast for the university's co-op program, followed by a presentation on "Select Scandals in Manitoba Beekeeping" — a fitting prelude to one of Homecoming's most unusual attractions. Friday brings open campus tours, a wine and cheese welcome back reception in the John E. Robbins Library Gathering Space with live music from the School of Music, and the first of two evenings of astronomy atop McMaster Hall. Saturday features guided campus tours led by student leaders, a games day hosted by PrairieCon, the BEE-U open hive demonstration, and the Homecoming Banquet. Sunday closes with a farewell brunch and a second day of Bobcats soccer.
The beehives have become something of a campus celebrity. Brandon University hosts honeybee hives for a project called "Bee U" and makes its own honey. The hives sit on the roof of the Knowles-Douglas Centre, and visitors can get a close look at the busy bees anytime from the windows at Ancillary Services. During the BEE-U open hive demonstration on Saturday, BU's resident beekeepers will explain everything you want to know about bees and beekeeping — and visitors may even get a taste of honey, fresh from the hive.
Above the hives, on the roof of McMaster Hall, sits the university's observatory. During Homecoming, visitors can take in a stunning panoramic view of Brandon from the highest elevated point at the centre of the city before touring the observatory and peering through the telescope at planets, stars, and distant galaxies.
Of course, no homecoming would be complete without athletics. The Brandon Bobcats men's and women's soccer teams will play at the Healthy Living Centre Soccer Field, facing the Saint-Boniface Les Rouges on Saturday and the Providence Pilots on Sunday. Fans in blue and gold will cheer on the student athletes as they battle for victory on the pitch, adding a dose of school spirit to the weekend's festivities.
Most of the weekend's events are free and open to everyone, not just alumni. The wine and cheese reception, the awards banquet, and the farewell brunch carry modest registration fees, but the campus tours, astronomy evenings, beehive demonstrations, and soccer games are all open to the public at no charge.
For the university, Homecoming is more than a reunion — it is a chance to kick off the 2026-2027 academic year with energy and community spirit. Whether visitors come to reconnect with old friends, run into a former professor, taste honey fresh from the hive, or gaze at planets and stars through a telescope, Brandon University's Homecoming 2026 promises a weekend that blends nostalgia with discovery — and a reminder that the bonds forged at Brandon College and Brandon University endure long after graduation.