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Welcome to the City 2026

Welcome to the City text over an orange background

No matter where you land after graduating, there's a Hokie waiting to welcome you! Across the country, chapters are hosting events to welcome new Hokies to their area. Connect with members of your alumni chapter, meet your young alumni committee, and learn all about your new city.

All events are Thursday, Aug. 20 unless otherwise noted.

  • Date: Wednesday, Aug. 19 
  • Time: 4:30 p.m. 
  • Location: The Hideaway, 1439 Odenton Road, Odenton, MD 21113
  • Details: Come meet other Annapolis Hokies for our Welcome to the City! We will have drinks and appetizers. 
  • Registration: Register here. 
  • Contact: Becky Oaksmith at boaksmith@comcast.net.

  • Time: 6 p.m. 
  • Location: Lazarus Brewing Company, 1902 E. 6th St., Austin, TX 78702
  • Details: Come meet other Austin Hokies at the Lazarus Brewing Company on E. 6th Street! Follow us @atxhokies for more info.
  • Registration: Register here. 
  • Contact: Dustin Dorph at dkd44@cornell.edu.

  • Time: 6:30 p.m.
  • Location: Checkerspot Brewing, 1421 Ridgely St., Baltimore, MD 21230
  • Details: This is a great chance to meet new Hokies that just moved to the area and connect with the alumni chapter! Your registration fee includes drinks and appetizers! Parking is available onsite.
  • Registration: Register here! 
  • Contact: Mia Thomas at mialynnthomas@gmail.com.

  • Time: 6:30-8:30 p.m. 
  • Location: Teak Neighborhood Grill, 6400 Time Square Ave., Orlando, FL 32835
  • Details: Come join other Central Florida Hokies while we all make new friends and welcome new Hokies to the area. The more Hokies the better! We hope to see you at Teak! Non-alcoholic drinks and appetizers will be provided. 
  • Registration: Register here. 
  • Contact: Christina Salisbury at cfl.vt.alumni@gmail.com.

  • Date: Saturday, Aug. 22 
  • Time: Noon
  • Location: The Back Porch, 808 Belvedere Clearwater Road, Belvedere, SC 29841
  • Details: Join fellow CSRA Hokies to make new friends and welcome new Hokies to the area. This is a chance to connect with and learn more about our chapter. Registration is $10 and includes a $5 gift to The Market at Virginia Tech! Your first round of drinks and appetizers are included.
  • Registration: Register here.
  • Contact: Robyn Williams at rlsharpe@vt.edu.

  • Date: Wednesday, Aug. 5 
  • Time: 6-8 p.m.  
  • Location: King Street Hideout, 630 King St., Charleston, SC 29403
  • Details: Join us for an evening with Hokies! Light appetizers will be provided by the chapter. Additional food will be available at the Mama Kim pop-up kitchen. Drinks will be available for cash/charge. Meter parking is available nearby, or there is a public parking garage at 558 King St. 
  • Registration: Register here.
  • Contact: John Snead at sneadjw@outlook.com

  • Time: 6:30-8:30 p.m. 
  • Location: Charlotte Beer Garden, 1300 S. Tryon St., Charlotte, NC 28203
  • Details: Join Charlotte Hokies for Welcome to the City Happy Hour at Charlotte Beer Garden! Let's celebrate new beginnings as we welcome the Class of 2026 to the best alumni family and learn about upcoming events in Charlotte. Connect with members of the Charlotte young alumni committee and the Charlotte Hokies alumni chapter.
  • Pricing: Registration is $10 in advance and $15 day of the event. Each registration includes appetizers, alumni swag, and a $5 gift to support Charlotte Hokies student scholarships. Plus, your first drink is on us!
  • Registration: Register here! 
  • Contact: Sam Whitney at samwhitney@vt.edu.

  • Date: Tuesday, Aug. 18 
  • Time: 6-8 p.m.
  • Location: Headquarters Beercade, 213 W. Institute Place, Chicago, IL 60610
  • Details: Join us to meet your Chicago Hokies as well as people in your new city before watch parties kick off. Registration is $10 with $5 a gift to the Chicago Alumni Chapter Scholarship. Your first drink is included in your registration!
  • Registration: Register here. 
  • Contact: Anna Duggins at annacduggins@gmail.com. 

  • Time: 5:30-7:30 p.m.
  • Location: MadTree Brewing - Oakley Taproom, 3301 Madison Road, Cincinnati, OH 45209
  • Details: The Cincinnati Hokies will be hosting a happy hour at Madtree to welcome new grads to the area. We will provide food for all Hokies in attendance as well as some Hokie swag!
  • Registration: Register here. 
  • Contact: Erica Boyd at ericapboyd@aol.com.

  • Time: 6:30-8:30 p.m. 
  • Location: Spider Kelly's, 3181 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201 
  • Details: Join D.C. Hokies for Welcome to the City Happy Hour at SK's! Let's celebrate new beginnings as we welcome the Class of 2026 to the best alumni family and learn about upcoming events in the D.C. area. Connect with members of the D.C. young alumni committee and the D.C. Hokies alumni chapter.
  • Pricing: Registration is $10 in advance and $15 day of the event. Each registration includes appetizers, alumni swag, and a $5 gift to support D.C. Hokies student scholarships. Plus, your first drink is on us!
  • Registration: Register here!
  • Contact: Sam Whitney at samwhitney@vt.edu.

  • Time: 7-9 p.m. 
  • Location: Schoolyard Beer Garden, 1115 Acoma St. #116, Denver, CO 80204
  • Details: Join the Denver Hokies as we welcome new alumni moving to Colorado after graduation. We’ll be gathering at the Schoolyard Beer Garden, which is located one block south of the Denver Art Museum in the historic Evans School. They’ve got more than 5,000 square feet of outdoor garden area, open-air seating, and communal Oktoberfest-style picnic tables that foster an environment of community and conviviality. The garden offers a thoughtful draft and bottled beer selection with a focus on Colorado and handcrafted brews! 
  • Registration: Register here. 
  • Contact: Mark Hojegian at Mark@DenverHomeLifestyles.com.

  • Date: TBD 
  • Time: 6-8 p.m. 
  • Location: Old Bust Head Brewing Company, 7134 Farm Station Road Warrenton, VA 20187
  • Details: Join the Fauquier Hokies for trivia night at Old Bust Head Brewing Company! We will have Virginia Tech swag and share our calendar of events for the upcoming year. Old Bust Head Taproom has a large parking lot.
  • Registration: More details to come! 
  • Contact: Deborah Foulk Libby at mark_libby@msn.com.

  • Time: 6-8 p.m. 
  • Location: Capital Ale House, 917 Caroline St., Fredericksburg, VA 22401
  • Details: Join the Fredericksburg Hokies and Virginia Tech's Native and Indigenous Alumni Society as we welcome our newest Hokies to the area. Get to know more about our alumni groups and how to get involved. Registration is $10, $5 of which goes directly back to the Fredericksburg Scholarship Fund. Appetizers will be provided, as well as non-alcoholic beverages and Hokie swag!
  • Registration: Register here.
  • Contact: Jamie Haughton at vtjmp78@gmail.com.

  • Time: TBD 
  • Location: Makers Alley, 804 N. Orange St., Wilmington, DE 19801
  • Details: Join us for a happy hour at Makers Alley Beer Garden in downtown Wilmington! The chapter will provide the first beverage and snacks. Makers Alley offers three hours of free parking! Simply park at the Mid-Town park garage located at 840 N. Orange St. and ask a Makers Alley team member for the QR code to activate your free parking!
  • Registration: Register here. 
  • Contact: Mary Sage Earley at delawarehokies@gmail.com.

  • Date: Friday, Aug. 21 
  • Time: 6-8 p.m. 
  • Location: Southampton Outfitters, 12583 Cedar View Road, Drewryville, VA 23844
  • Details: Join us for food, drinks, and a social to meet local Hokies. If you know any recent graduates or a Hokie that is new to our area, reach out and invite them so our Hokie community can meet them! Registration for this event is $10, $5 of which is your registration fee and $5 goes back to the Greensville-Southampton Chapter Scholarship fund.
  • Registration: Register here. 
  • Contact: Matthew Lynch at greensvillesouthamptonhokies@gmail.com.

  • Time: 6:30 p.m. 
  • Location: Barrelhouse, 621 Lamar St., Knoxville, TN 37917
  • Details: Join us for snacks, fun, and trivia at one of only five exclusive wild cider barrelhouses in the United States! Registration is $10 and includes a $5 is a gift to the Knoxville Alumni Chapter Scholarship Fund.
  • Registration: Register here by Thursday, Aug. 13!
  • Contact: Fred Gibson at gibsofc@gmail.com.

  • Time: 5:30 p.m.
  • Location: Winston-Salem Wine Market, 1231 Creekshire Way, Winston-Salem, NC  27103
  • Details: The Winston-Salem Wine Market is in the Creekside shopping center conveniently located off of Hanes Mall Boulevard. Registration is $10, which includes a $5 a gift to the chapter scholarship fund. Wine tasting, appetizers, and Hokie swag are included in your registration.
  • Registration: Register here. 
  • Contact: John Walton at John.Walton@precisionfabrics.com.

  • Time: 6:30-8:30 p.m.  
  • Location: Break Bar, 458 9th Ave., New York, NY 10018 
  • Details: Join New York Hokies for Welcome to the City Happy Hour at Break Bar NYC! Let's celebrate new beginnings as we welcome the Class of 2026 to the best alumni family and learn about upcoming events in NYC. Connect with members of the New York young alumni committee and the Manhattan Hokies alumni chapter.
  • Pricing: Registration is $10 in advance and $15 day of the event. Each registration includes appetizers, alumni swag, and a $5 gift to support Manhattan Hokies student scholarships. Plus, your first drink is on us!
  • Registration: Register here!
  • Contact: Mariah Raskin at mariah9@vt.edu.

  • Time: 6-8 p.m. 
  • Location: Shorty's Pins and Pints, 353 North Shore Drive, Pittsburgh, PA 15212
  • Details: Join the Pittsburgh Hokies as we say goodbye to summer and kick off the fall by welcoming new Hokies to the Pittsburgh area. Registration is $10, with $5 a gift to the Pittsburgh Chapter Scholarship Fund. Light food and drink will be provided and also available for purchase.
  • Registration: Register here. 
  • Contact: Jack Osberg at jackosberg10@gmail.com. 

  • Time: 6:30-8:30 p.m.  
  • Location: The Quirk Hotel, 201 W. Broad St., Richmond, VA 23220
  • Details: Join Richmond Hokies for Welcome to the City Happy Hour at The Quirk Hotel's lobby bar + courtyard! Let's celebrate new beginnings as we welcome the Class of 2026 to the best alumni family and learn about upcoming events in the Richmond area. Connect with the Richmond young alumni committee, the Richmond Hokies alumni chapter, members of the Virginia Tech Black Alumni Society, and the Latinx and Hispanic Alumni Society.
  • Pricing: Registration is $10 in advance and $15 day of the event. Each registration includes appetizers, alumni swag, and a $5 gift to support Richmond Hokies student scholarships. Plus, your first drink is on us!
  • Registration: Register here!
  • Contact: Sam Whitney at samwhitney@vt.edu.

  • Time: 5:30-7:30 p.m. 
  • Location: Big Time Brewery & Alehouse, 4133 University Way NE, Seattle, WA 98105
  • Details: Join us at Big Time Brewery & Alehouse, Seattle's oldest microbrewery, that is now co-owned by a Hokie! This all-ages venue is located in the University District neighborhood and is accessible by Lightrail and several bus options from outside neighborhoods. If you're driving to the area, there is street parking near the venue and several surface lots within a few blocks.
  • Registration: Register here.
  • Contact: Susan Sherbak at sherbaks@gmail.com.

  • Time: 6-8 p.m.  
  • Location: TBD!
  • Details: It’s time! It’s Welcome to the City season, and we can’t wait to welcome all of our new Hokie alumni to the Tidewater area! All Hokies are welcome to join us for a night to connect with fellow Virginia Tech alums and meet our young alum committee. Light apps will be provided. Stay tuned for our location! 
  • Registration: Register here! 
  • Contact: Robyn Walters at tidewaterhokiespres@gmail.com. 

  • Time: 6:30-8:30 p.m. 
  • Location: Lynnwood Brewing Concern, 1053 E. Whitaker Mill Road, Raleigh, NC 27604
  • Details: Join Triangle Hokies for Welcome to the City Happy Hour in The Barrel Room at Lynnwood Brewing Concern! Let's celebrate new beginnings as we welcome the Class of 2026 to the best alumni family and learn about upcoming events in the N.C. Research Triangle. Connect with members of the Triangle young alumni committee and the Triangle Hokies alumni chapter.
  • Pricing: Registration is $10 in advance and $15 day of the event. Each registration includes appetizers, alumni swag, and a $5 gift to support Triangle Hokies student scholarships. Plus, your first drink is on us!
  • Registration: Register here!
  • Contact: Sam Whitney at samwhitney@vt.edu.

  • Date: Tuesday, Aug. 25 
  • Time: 5:30 p.m. 
  • Location: Frothy Moon, 1826 Jamestown Road, Williamsburg, VA 23185 
  • Details: Come join us at Frothy Moon Brewhouse for our Welcome to the City event! Weather permitting, we'll be enjoying the upper patio while meeting fellow Hokies and making new connections. We'll have Hokie swag and plenty of opportunities to learn more about the chapter. Your registration fee helps support our scholarship fund, allowing us to give back to future Virginia Tech students. We can't wait to welcome you!
  • Registration: Register here.
  • Contact: Sarah Stephens at stephens.se123@gmail.com. 

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