Eight great ways to enjoy October at Emory

By Leigh DeLozier Oct. 3, 2025

October brings thoughts of cooler temperatures, warmer drinks and photo-perfect trees across campus. The month also brings plenty of activities to usher in the new season. Mark your calendars now for artistic encounters, though- provoking lectures and multiple days of Homecoming and Family Weekend fun.

1. Explore an artsy exhibit.

There’s always interesting art to see at Emory, whether it’s part of a permanent collection or a special exhibit.

The Woodruff Library’s newest addition is “Striking Characters: Typewriters, Literary Worlds and the Art of Tim Youd.” Featuring a combination of Youd’s artwork and items from the Rose Library’s literary archives, the collection — displayed in Schatten Gallery — highlights how the typewriter empowered a new age of storytelling, literature and visual art. You can meet Youd and watch him create new typewritten art from 1-5 p.m. each Sunday through Friday until Oct. 17.

Nearby at the Carlos Museum, October is your last chance to view “Maa Laxmi,” Manjari Sharma's large-scale photograph of the Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity. The special installation was put in place to celebrate Diwali 2024.

The newest Carlos exhibit is “Insistent Presence: Contemporary African Art from the Chazen Collection.” Drawn from the collections of the Chazen Museum of Art at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, “Insistent Presence” includes works of sculpture, painting, ceramics and printmaking showing how artists have reimagined the human figure to pose questions about social and political histories, contested identities and a possible future for how we relate to one another. “Insistent Presence” is at the Carlos until Dec. 14.

On the Oxford College campus, don’t miss a special exhibit of work by graffiti artist Docta. Considered one of the precursors of this urban art in West Africa, Docta creates art with strong messages that speak to all generations. See the exhibition at Tarbutton Porch on Thursday, Oct. 16, at 5:30 p.m.

2. Learn something new from guest lecturers.

Numerous experts will share their perspectives during lectures on campus this month. Check the university’s calendar for more options, but here’s a sampling to get you started.

Join artist Gonçalo Mabunda for a talk about his work (part of the “Insistent Presence” exhibit) that explores the collective memory of his country, Mozambique, and its transition from war to the absence of violence and ultimately to peace. The discussion is Wednesday, Oct. 8, at 6:30 p.m., in Ackerman Hall at the Carlos Museum; registration is required.

On Thursday, Oct. 9, stop by the Atwood Chemistry Building, Room 360, to hear “The Jewish Silk Roads: How to Weave a Central Asian Carpet.” Guest lecturer is Jonathan Gil Harris, founding dean and professor of English at Ashoka University in New Delhi, India. The free program begins at 4 p.m. and registration is required.

Josef Sorett of Columbia University will deliver Candler School of Theology’s 2025 Howard Thurman Lecture on Thursday, Oct. 15, at 5 p.m. He will speak on “The Art and Politics (and Afterlives) of Afro-Protestantism.” The program will be held in Room 252 of Candler’s Rita Anne Rollins Building. Registration is needed.

“Touch, Access and the Digital Archive” — the 2025 Digital Equities Lecture through the Fox Center for Humanistic Inquiry and Digital Publishing in the Humanities initiative — is sure to be an interesting conversation. The program, featuring speaker Sari Altschuler of Northeastern University, is Thursday, Oct. 23, at 4 p.m. in Room 360 of the Atwood Chemistry Building Advance registration is required.

3. Participate in Pride activities.

October is LGBTQ+ History Month, which means the Rose Library’s annual Drag Show returns Thursday, Oct. 9, at 7 p.m. The event brings a diverse group of talented entertainers from metro Atlanta to the Emory campus to celebrate the library’s rich holdings that document the history, culture, politics and activism of LGBTQ+ communities in Atlanta, Georgia and the South. The show is free and open to all.

Members of the Emory community will be walking in the Atlanta Pride 2025 Parade on Sunday, Oct. 12. University students, faculty and staff can kick off the day with light refreshments at Jenkins Courtyard at 10 a.m., then board shuttles to the parade route (space allowing). Registration is needed for Emory University students and employees or Emory Healthcare employees.

4. Stay safety-minded on campus and beyond.

Emory’s annual safety fair is an opportunity to meet people and learn more about safety and preparedness organizations on campus and within the local community. Stop by the Student Center Promenade on Thursday, Oct. 9, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. for information about more than 30 safety, health and well-being resources available to the Emory community. Plus, you can enjoy giveaways, free ice cream and a dunk tank.

5. Be inspired at Ideas Festival Emory.

For a day full of creative conversations and inspiration, mark your calendar for Ideas Festival Emory, held on the Oxford College campus Saturday, Oct. 18. The packed schedule includes exhibitions, live music and performances, games for kids, food and drinks, and conversations and presentations from producers all across the creative spectrum. Activities begin at 10 a.m. and end with a 5 p.m. keynote conversation with award-winning musician and writer Rosanne Cash.

Attendance is free, but some events have limited capacity (including the keynote). Registration is required.

6. Experience Emory Homecoming and Family Weekend.

This year’s Homecoming and Family Weekend celebrations stretch across two weekends and bring activities for everyone to both the Atlanta and Oxford College campuses.

Oxford’s Family Weekend kicks off the fun Oct. 17-19. It coincides with Ideas Festival Emory, which means there will be no shortage of food, fun and inspiring moments. See the full schedule of events and register to join.

Emory’s Homecoming and Family Weekend happens Oct. 23-26 on the Atlanta campus. Saturday’s Food and Music Festival on the Quad will be a highlight as usual, featuring multiplatinum singer/songwriter Rachel Platten as the headliner. Special guest Jay Sean and opening act Yellow Brick Road will also perform. Find all the details and register to join the fun.

7. Slip a little spookiness into your schedule.

The Rose Library’s “Miscellaneous Monthly” series offers sneak peeks at interesting items from the archives. This month, visit on Tuesday, Oct. 21, from 1-3 p.m. to view archival items about monsters, cults and other horrors. You’ll find “Monsters and Mayhem” in the Danowski Seminar Room on the tenth floor of Woodruff Library.

On Saturday, Oct. 25, be part of “Last Call at Dooley’s Tavern” at Oxford College at 5:30 p.m. From a campus dining hall to a lively tavern and music stage to a beloved coffeehouse and student hangout, Dooley’s Tavern was the place to gather, perform, unwind and make memories since the 1960s. Come celebrate its legacy — with music, friends and a final farewell to the space that helped shape generations of Oxford students.

8. Celebrate culture and heritage.

Join Emory and Muscogee leaders, singers, storytellers and artists for the fourth annual Emory Muscogee Teach-In on Thursday, Oct. 30. The program — held in the Emory Student Center’s Multipurpose Rooms beginning at 2:30 p.m. — will include Muscogee hymn singing, a Stomp Dance and more. Admission is free, but registration is required.

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