Reunion 2026 Brought the Colby Community Home

Some things never change about Reunion Weekend. The feeling you get when you walk across Mayflower Hill. The familiar faces that somehow look exactly the same yet are completely different. The stories that pick up where they left off, whether they began five years ago or 50.

From June 5-7, more than 700 alumni, family, and friends returned to Colby for Reunion 2026. Many alumni were back for their first reunion, while others had been making the trip home for decades. Attendees arrived with a shared purpose: to reconnect with classmates, the College, and the memories that shaped them.

Friendships were renewed over Maine brews, at class dinners, and during chance encounters on campus. But Reunion Weekend wasn’t only about looking back.

Alumni stepped into classrooms again for Jan Plan: Summer Edition sessions led by faculty and students, explored new spaces such as the Gordon Center for Creative and Performing Arts and the Harold Alfond Athletics and Recreation Center, visited Colby’s Island Campus off the coast of Port Clyde, and heard updates from President David A. Greene about the College’s future. The weekend offered countless opportunities to experience how Colby continues to evolve while remaining rooted in the values that connect generations of Mules.

For milestone classes, the weekend held special significance. Members of the Class of 1976 celebrated their 50th Reunion with a 25-mile bike ride around Portland, an opening-night oyster bar celebration, and learning dance moves for a flash mob during Saturday’s lunch. Each event created new memories while honoring the old.

The Class of 2001 marked 25 years since commencement, while the Golden Mules celebrated more than 55 years of memories, wisdom, and lifelong connections. The oldest alumnus in attendance was Frederick R. Boyle ’51, celebrating his 75th reunion. 

Generations were brought together again in a blue display of pride and tradition during the Parade of Classes. Families and friends enjoyed food trucks, children explored the kids’ zone, attendees gathered to honor alumni award recipients, and classmates crowded for photos. When the sun went down, they all filled the dance floors.

Whether attending a favorite annual tradition or experiencing a Colby reunion for the first time, those who returned this year found something meaningful around every corner of campus.

By Sunday morning, the campus was quiet, as many alumni and friends packed up and savored the last nostalgic moments over breakfast in Dana. Others followed Maine’s winding roads to Port Clyde, where they boarded the boat to Allen Island and continued their festivities.

As the weekend progressed, there were new stories to tell and connections to maintain, along with a renewed sense of belonging to the Colby community, spanning generations.

Thank you to everyone who returned to Mayflower Hill and made Reunion 2026 special. We can’t wait to welcome you back soon.

Relive the weekend by checking out our photo album.