It’s time to “Paint the Town Red” as LaGrange College prepares to welcome back alumni this weekend for homecoming.

The event will kick off with “Breakfast with Coach Mooney” at 7:30 a.m. Friday at Best Western Lafayette Garden Inn. Todd Mooney, Panther football head coach, will discuss the 2009 team and its strategy for taking on the Westminster Blue Jays on Saturday afternoon. Tickets are $10, and a breakfast buffet will be served.

For the first time in recent history, the recipients of annual alumni awards will speak to students about their time on “the Hill” and how it influenced them in their careers. A cultural enrichment forum will be at 11:15 a.m. Friday in the Bailey Room of Smith Hall.

“We are tailoring homecoming so more students will be able to come face-to-face with the alumni,” said Andy Brubaker, director of alumni and family relations. “Our honorees have a tremendous amount of wisdom that can benefit our students, so we want to maximize the time they can spend together.”

Award winners will be spending time in the Career Center and other departments, as well as appearing at a luncheon, all designed to give them more time with students, Brubaker said.

This year, the community is pairing with the college to offer alumni and visitors a true “welcome home” experience.

“So many alumni say memories of the Hill include fond memories of LaGrange, itself,” Brubaker said. “An integral part of the college is the city of LaGrange. You can’t have one without the other.”

The college has been working with the LaGrange Downtown Development Authority to make the weekend memorable. Homecoming packets will include a “Panther Card” that will entitle alumni to special deals and discounts at businesses around town. Participating merchants will display a LaGrange College pennant in their windows.

“The local community has embraced ‘Paint the Town Red,’ ” Brubaker said. “LaGrange has so many great things to offer - great restaurants, great shops and great atmosphere. We want our alumni to take advantage of the full experience that is LaGrange.”

On campus, dozens of events have been planned for the weekend. To give everyone a chance to celebrate the college’s growth, the new Lewis Library and recently renovated Banks Hall will be open for tours from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Saturday. A celebration of the success of the “Defining Moment” campaign will be at 5 p.m. on the plaza in front of the library.

On Friday, the 26th annual Tom Duckett Golf Tournament will be at 1 p.m. at Highland Country Club, and the 2009 alumni celebration will be at 4:15 p.m. in the Dickson Assembly Room, followed by a reception at 5:30 p.m. on the Lewis Library Plaza.

That evening, the classes of 1959, 1949 and 2009 will gather for celebrations, and the college’s production of “Brigadoon” opens at 7:30 p.m. at Price Theater.

Saturday’s events begin with the 5K run and one-mile walk at 8 a.m. Registration will be in front of Callaway Auditorium; the cost is $10.

The class of 1959 meets for brunch at 9:30 a.m. at Sunny Gables. The Alumni Association will sponsor a tailgate party from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the auditorium’s parking lot. Alumni basketball and baseball games will be happening, as well as the annual Student Government Association homecoming parade at 10:30 a.m., with the route including Forrest Avenue and the southern part of the campus. Other reunion tailgating events on Saturday will include the classes of 1999, 1984, 1989 and 1994, as well as the Alliance of Black Alumni.

The highlight of the day will be the football game at Callaway Stadium, as the Panthers take on the Blue Jays of Westminster at 1 p.m. New inductees in the Sports Hall of Fame will be featured during halftime, as well as the crowning of the homecoming queen and the announcement of the winner of the banner contest.

Later, the Greek Alumni Society will hold a cocktail party from 5 to 7 p.m. at Ou La La, and the class of 2004 will hold a reunion at 6:30 p.m. at C’Sons restaurant. Saturday’s production of “Brigadoon” will be at 8 p.m. to give alumni a chance to attend parties before coming to the theater. Pi Kappa Phi will celebrate its 40th anniversary from 7 to 9 p.m. at Sunny Gables Alumni House.

The homecoming concert will be at 7 p.m. on the residential quad and will feature multiplatinum R&B singer/songwriter Avant. He is described as a new-school balladeer and songwriter whose platinum records have yielded several Top 5 R&B singles.

On Sunday, the Alumni and LaGrange College Community Memorial Service will be at 11 a.m. at the Chapel, honoring those who have died since homecoming 2008. A lunch buffet will be served from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Margaret Pitts Dining Hall, followed by a 2:30 p.m. matinee of “Brigadoon.”

For more information or to register for events, visit the college’s Web site at http://www.lagrange.edu/alumni/homecoming_reunions.htm or call (706) 880-8244.