The start of fall has once again brought alumni back to grounds for Homecoming weekend and Young Alumni Reunion or YAR. Sponsored by the UVa Alumni Association, Bold Rock Hard Cider, and Starr Hill Brewery, this year’s YAR was the largest to date.
Annually, recently graduated alumni are invited back to UVa for a weekend-long celebration of football, fun, and camaraderie. The event drew thousands of alumni into the city, much to the joy of local restaurant and bar owners along the Corner.
“YAR is easily our biggest weekend of the year. No question,” said Crozet manager Erik Dexheimer, also known as Dex. “It’ll be packed from opening to close, and we’ve staffed accordingly.”
Standing room was the policy not only for bars, but also the streets. Shoulder-to-shoulder crowds packed the Corner both Friday and Saturday night. Lines wrapped around buildings and cars struggled to navigate the streets because of the chaos.
Current undergraduates also took advantage of the incoming surge of partygoers.
Homecoming weekend’s annual Quad Party, thrown by Chi Phi, DKE, SERP, and Kappa Sig fraternities siphoned the disappointed fans from the Hoos’ frustrating 41-10 routing by Boston College on Saturday afternoon.
The weekend concluded with the main event, YAR 2017, a massive party thrown exclusively for pre-paying alumni in the university amphitheater. Tickets allowed entry to the event as well as access to food, alcohol, and free photo booths.
Pictures from YAR 2017 can be found here.
