Before the Blue and Gold: Summer Welcome Parties Across the Years
Before Move-In Day. Before Telegraph Avenue becomes a second home. Before the eucalyptus-scented mornings on campus—there’s a moment, sometimes in July, sometimes early August, when UC Berkeley students get their very first glimpse of the Golden Bear community. And it often happens hundreds or even thousands of miles from campus.
That moment is the Summer Welcome Party.
A Coast-to-Coast Tradition
Each year, alumni chapters across the country—and increasingly, across the world—rally to host Summer Welcome Parties for incoming students and their families. Organized by the Cal Alumni Association (CAA), these chartered chapter-led events are spirited, local gatherings where questions are answered, traditions are passed down, and friendships are sparked over snacks, smiles, and stories.
In 2022 alone, 34 alumni chapters brought this tradition to life—from the Cal Alumni Club of Washington, D.C. to the San Diego Cal Alumni Club, with parents and alums stepping up as gracious hosts. In Chicago, alums set up by the lake. In New York, city views framed the welcome. In Los Angeles, students met future friends under string lights and palm trees.
Pandemic Pivot and Virtual Legacy
Even in uncertain times, the tradition held strong. In 2020 and 2021, alumni chapters embraced the challenge of pandemic restrictions by transforming these parties into virtual events. The Cal Alumni Club of Washington D.C. hosted a Zoom gathering that culminated in a surprise Cal Band performance, with breakout rooms offering new students one-on-one chats with alums—an experience many later said gave them their first real sense of belonging.
These moments underscored the heart of Summer Welcome: it’s never just about proximity. It’s about presence.
More Than a Party
From the outside, these events might look like casual get-togethers. But look closer, and you’ll see transformation in motion. A shy high school grad becomes a confident first-year ready to take on Berkeley. A parent finds comfort in speaking with alums who once navigated the same questions. Alums rekindle their Cal pride while passing on wisdom: where to eat, who to talk to, how to thrive.
It’s Cal in its most human form.
Built by Bears
What makes Summer Welcome Parties extraordinary isn’t just the new students—they’re extraordinary already. It’s the alums who make the time; chapter leaders who coordinate RSVPs, scout parks and patios, and decorate with blue and gold balloons. It’s parents who open their homes, who grill, who greet, who share. Every handshake, every Cal flag waved, is a volunteer’s act of love.
A Welcome That Never Ends
This summer, the tradition continues. With the Class of 2029, and the Class of 2027 transfers preparing to take their first steps toward Sather Gate, alumni chapters are gearing up once again—with snacks, stories, and open arms. Some will host for the fifth year in a row. Others are welcoming for the first time. But the message remains unchanged:
You belong here. You are one of us. Welcome home.
Join a Summer Welcome Party near you.
