2026 Reunion Schedule

Check in to pick up your packets, name tags, wristbands, meal tickets, and dorm keys. A limited number of on-site barbecue tickets will be available for purchase until 6 pm Saturday. Barbecue prices: $28 per adult, $22 per child age 12 and under.
George Ball ’73 Lounge, Heinz and Lilo Bertelsmann Campus Center

For arrivals after 11 pm, please check in at the Office of Safety and Security in Memorial Hall (formerly “Old Gym”).

Join the Bard College rugby team as they host the Bard Rugby Alumni/ae Association for the annual alumni/ae games! All are welcome.
North Field, Lorenzo Ferrari Soccer and Lacrosse Complex

All alumni/ae, along with graduating student athletes and their families, are invited to join athletics administrators, coaches, and staff for light fare and drinks to kick off the celebratory weekend. 
Instructional Classroom #1, Stevenson Athletic Center 

This year, the Bard College Awards return to main campus under the big tent where guests will be able to enjoy cocktails, dinner, and the awards ceremony all in one place. Join us for an elegant seated dinner as we recognize exceptional alumni/ae achievements and the careers of distinguished faculty. Alumni/ae are highly encouraged to make this the first stop of the weekend—it’s a great way to meet up with classmates, enjoy an al fresco dinner, and get inspired by some amazing Bardian stories. The award presentations that open and close the evening are hosted by Mollie Meikle ’03, president of the Bard College Alumni/ae Association Board of Governors, and Bard President Leon Botstein. Advance registration is required. Reunion classes will be seated together. Please be sure to pick up your packets from registration before attending.

Hosted by the Bard College Alumni/ae Association.

Cocktail Reception
5:30–6:30 pm
Commencement Tent

Bard College Awards Ceremony and Dinner
6:30 pm
Reunion classes will be seated together. $65 per person. Advanced registration required. 
Commencement Tent

Complimentary bar food with beer and wine for purchase. Bring the whole family.
Kline Commons

Bard College soloists and composers in concert with The Orchestra Now (TŌN) and Leon Botstein, conductor. No reservations required. Seating is first come, first served.
Sosnoff Theater, Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts

Work by seniors graduating in the Photography Program.
Woods Studio

Work by seniors graduating in the Studio Arts Program.
Richard B. and Emily H. Fisher Studio Arts Building

Pick up your tickets for the weekend’s events, wristbands, a campus map, and a schedule. A limited number of on-site barbecue tickets will be available for purchase until 6 pm Saturday. Barbecue prices: $28 per adult, $22 per child age 12 and under..
George Ball ’73 Lounge, Heinz and Lilo Bertelsmann Campus Center

Take a walk in the woods with Paul Marienthal—dean for social action and director of the Trustee Leader Scholar (TLS) program—and learn about the Bard Guilds program, in which Bard students have been learning how to construct bridges while fixing the College’s trails. Please note that this 1.5 mile walk includes steep hills.
Start: Community Garden, Blithewood Avenue
End: Honey Field, behind Stevenson Athletic Center

A bequest to Bard College from Dr. Edith Neumann featuring German and Austrian paintings from the turn of the 20th century.
First Floor, Blithewood Mansion

For graduating seniors, their families, guests, and alumni/ae.
($17 per adult, $8 for children ages 12–4, free for children ages 3 and under.)
Main Dining Room, Kline Commons

Alumni/ae and their families can meet up with classmates and friends throughout the afternoon and watch the Commencement procession. A food truck, snacks, drinks, music, and games are available, including a cash bar with free popcorn and lemonade.
South Lawn, Heinz and Lilo Bertelsmann Campus Center 

Enjoy a family friendly movie!
Weis Cinema, Heinz and Lilo Bertelsmann Campus Center

Tent opens for seating
1:30 pm


Commencement Tent, Seth Goldfine Memorial Rugby Field

Academic Procession
2:30 pm
Alumni/ae from reunion classes are invited line up at the front of the procession to join members of the Class of 2026; this year’s honorary degree recipients; members of the Board of Trustees; The Right Reverend Matthew F. Heyd; President Leon Botstein; and Bard faculty in the procession to the Commencement tent. Academic attire is required. 
Formation: New Annandale House, Annandale Road, north of the Chapel of the Holy Innocents

Commencement Livestream
2:30 pm
For those who wish to view Commencement from the comfort of an air-conditioned space, a livestream will be available in Olin Hall.
Olin Hall, Franklin W. Olin Humanities Building

Commencement Ceremony
3 pm
Celebrate the Class of 2026 and awardees of this year’s honorary degrees with President Leon Botstein; James C. Chambers ’81, chair of the Board of Trustees, presiding;, and the Right Reverend Matthew F. Heyd officiating. For safety reasons, standing in the aisle during the ceremony is prohibited.
Commencement Tent, Seth Goldfine Memorial Rugby Field

Reunion classes from 1956, 1961, 1966, 1971, 1976, 1981, and 1986—as well as surrounding classes and guests—are invited to enjoy complimentary cocktails inside Blithewood Mansion. Class photos will be taken during the cocktail reception. Advance registration is required.
Blithewood Mansion

Individual class photos for the Classes of 1956, 1961, 1966, 1971, 1976, 1981, and 1986 will be taken during the cocktail reception.
Blithewood Mansion

The 50th reunion class and their guests will be seated together for dinner. After-dinner drinks and dessert will be served in the music room following the fireworks. Tickets are $75. Advance registration is required. 
Blithewood Mansion

The Classes of 1956, 1961, 1966, 1971, 1981, and 1986 and their guests gather for the annual reunion dinner. Surrounding years are welcome to join. After-dinner drinks and dessert will be served in the music room after the fireworks. Tickets are $75. Advance registration is required. 
Blithewood Mansion

Individual class photos for the Classes of 1991, 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011, 2016, and 2021 will take place prior to the cocktail reception.
South Lawn, Heinz and Lilo Bertelsmann Campus Center

The Classes of 1991, 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011, 2016, and 2021, as well as fellow alumni/ae from the Classes of 1987 to 2025, gather for the annual reunion cocktail reception. Complimentary. Advance registration required.
South Lawn, Heinz and Lilo Bertelsmann Campus Center

All alumni/ae and their guests are invited to sit under the tent and enjoy the barbecue on the south lawn of Blithewood. Gather with friends over a meal provided by the local, family-owned Brooks' House of BBQ or Red Hook's Bliss Juice + Cafe. Whether you're craving barbecue chicken, pulled pork, or a black bean burger—each with sides of mac and cheese, corn bread, and coleslaw—or you'd prefer a fresh bowlful of organic vegan fare, it will be ready and waiting for your arrival at Blithewood. Meals will be individually portioned; please choose in advance. 

The Classes of 1991, 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011, 2016, and 2021 will have designated tables. $28 per adult, $22 per child age 12 and under. Advance registration is recommended. Meals will be individually portioned; please choose in advance. Cash wine and beer bar.
South Lawn, Blithewood

Bard’s favorite graduation dance band gives it up for new graduates, alumni/ae, and families.
North Lawn, Blithewood

An annual gathering of jazz-loving alumni/ae musicians. Everyone is welcome.
Blum Hall, Edith C. Blum Institute, Avery Arts Center

Stake out your spot on the lawn and lie back for the best fireworks show in the Hudson Valley.
North Lawn, Blithewood

The Class of 1976 welcomes everyone to this ceremony of remembrance dedicated to those we’ve known and lost.
Anna Jones Memorial Garden

Break out the wide lapels and dance to the last 50 years of music with DJ’s Arm18 (Andrew McIntosh ’97) and Boogie Knight (Pablo Salinas ’97). Take a trip back in time to a classic vinyl dance party at Manor. All are welcome. Cash bar. Magic Bus.
Ward Manor House

Wake up to a serenade of Bard’s all-bird chorus and join us for a stroll along Tivoli Bays’ dewy forest! Meet Juliette Zicot ’23 at 8:30 am for a bird walk. Bring waterproof footwear and binoculars.
Start: Front door, Ward Manor House

In memory of alumni/ae, faculty, staff, and special friends of the College who died during the past year. Officiated by the Bard College Chaplaincy.
Chapel of the Holy Innocents

Join Bard President Leon Botstein and Mollie Meikle ’03, president of the Bard College Alumni/ae Association Board of Governors, for a celebratory brunch. Remarks at 11:30 am. All are welcome. $30 per adult, $13 per child age 4 to 12, free for children ages 3 and under. Advance registration recommended.
Kline Commons

An outdoor guided tour on mostly even surfaces, moving at a modest pace. Approximately one hour total.
Start: Visitors Center, Montgomery Place Campus

Alumni/ae who are interested in volunteering for alumni/ae committees and programs are cordially invited to attend.
Room 115, F. W. Olin Language Center

Please see Sunday, 12:30 pm, for the event description. 
Start: Visitors Center, Montgomery Place Campus