Kuumba’s Half Century Celebration
It is with great excitement and anticipation that we invite you to the Half Century Celebration of the Kuumba Singers of Harvard College. Please join us on the weekend of May 5-7, 2023 for a celebration more than five decades in the making!
To register for the Half Century Celebration weekend, follow this link. Upon completing the registration, you should receive a confirmation email from EventZilla that verifies your registration.
NOTE: Registration is for those who are planning to attend events throughout the weekend. If you’re only planning to attend the concert there’s no need to register! Simply purchase a concert ticket through the Harvard Box Office. Please e-mail anniversary@kuumbasingers.org with questions or concerns about registration.
Schedule of Events
Friday May 5, 2023
2:30-4:00pm Check-in (Loker Commons)
6:00pm Cohort Dinners in Harvard Square (more details forthcoming)
6:30-7:30pm Check-in (Loker Commons)
7:30pm Welcome Reception (Cambridge Queen’s Head Pub)
Saturday May 6, 2023 (Kuumba Museum on Display All Day in the SOCH)
8:30-9:15 am Check-in*
9:00-9:30 am Breakfast and the 1970 Musical Prelude*
9:30-11:00 am Kuumba: On This Ground We Stand, 1970-1974 (SOCH 1st Floor)
11:00-11:30am Late Check-in*
11:15-12:30 pm Keynote Conversation (SOCH 1st Floor) – please note this earlier start time
12:45-2:00 pm Welcome & Luncheon*
2:00-2:45 pm Break & Group pictures
2:45-4:00 pm Alumni Meeting*
4:00-5:00 pm Alumni Sing*
8:00-10:00 pm Concert (Sanders Theater)
10:00 pm Post (Cambridge Queen’s Head Pub)
Sunday May 7, 2023 (Kuumba Museum on Display All Day in the SOCH)
9:00-12:00 pm Closing Brunch w/ Keynote by Rev. Gloria White-Hammond & Ray Hammond*
* Student Organization Center at Hilles (SOCH), 1st floor
All events are mask optional. With the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, we encourage those in attendance to be vaccinated and boosted.
Check-in Information
Please plan to check-in with us during the weekend to receive wristbands for lunch and brunch, concert tickets, and your stole (if you pre-ordered). Check-in will be available on Friday from 2:30-4:00pm and 6:30-7:30pm in Loker Commons (in the basement of Memorial Hall). It will also be available on Saturday from 8:30-9:15am and 11:00-11:30am in the SOCH (Student Organization Center at Hilles).
Registration is required for entry into the luncheon and brunch. All concert tickets that are not picked up at registration can be picked up at will-call in Sanders Theatre before the concert.
Concert Livestream Information:
Can’t join us in-person? Tune-in to the concert via livestream!
Livestream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaYfcWWJwdg
Concert program: https://bit.ly/kuumbahalfcentury
Shuttle & Parking Information
We recommend taking public transportation to Harvard Square when possible. Shuttles run between Harvard Yard and the Quad (SOCH) throughout the weekend. Full schedule is available online. You can also track shuttles in real time using the Shuttle Tracker.
You may purchase an all day parking pass ahead of time, online, through Harvard Parking Services. The most convenient location to the SOCH (for all the events Saturday except the concert) is the Observatory lot, located at 96-58 Concord Ave, Cambridge, MA 02138. You can purchase a pass through the online system at the link above. We recommend purchasing a pass before arriving online, as spots are assigned based on availability.
Free parking for the Concert (Saturday evening) is available at the 52 Oxford Street Garage, located at the intersection of Everett and Oxford Streets. Parking is in an underground, attended garage. Parking is from one hour pre-performance to one hour after the concert. Simply tell the attendant you are attending a concert in Sanders theater. You will be given a ticket to get back into the garage.
In addition, parking meters in the City of Cambridge are free after 8pm. Most meters have a 2-hour limit, meaning if you park anytime after 6pm, you would be able to pay until 8pm and stay in that spot until after the concert.
Sanders Theater accessibility:
- Patrons may be dropped off in the circle driveway on the Kirkland Street side of Sanders Theatre near the accessible entrance, at 6 Kirkland Street.
- Sanders Theatre is accessible on the floor level with ramps at both entrances to the Memorial Transept (lobby). The north entrance is off Kirkland Street and the south entrance is off Cambridge Street. Note: the Theatre does not provide wheelchairs. Accessible seating in the Theatre is on the Orchestra level only, sold at all price levels based upon availability. There are elevators in the building that lead to restrooms in the basement; however, not to Mezzanine or Balcony seating.
On Sunday, parking is free in any metered spot, as well as legal in Resident Parking areas, throughout the City of Cambridge. Though you may also purchase a pass for the Observatory lot (see instructions above) if you prefer the convenience of not street parking.
Additional information for public parking options around Harvard Square are available here.
Event Locations
Loker Commons – basement of Memorial Hall, 45 Quincy St, Cambridge, MA 02138
Cambridge Queens Head Pub – basement of Memorial Hall, 45 Quincy St, Cambridge, MA 02138
Student Organization Center at Hilles (SOCH) – 59 Sheppard St, Cambridge, MA 02138
Sanders Theatre -45 Quincy St, Cambridge, MA 02138
COVID-19 Guidance & Protocols
In accordance with university protocols, face coverings during the anniversary weekend are optional in indoor spaces. You can consult the CDC’s COVID-19 community levels for the Cambridge (Middlesex county) and Boston (Suffolk county) campuses to help make personal mask usage choices.
Although visitors to Harvard’s campus are not required to be vaccinated, per the university’s guidance, we strongly encourage those in attendance to ensure they are up to date with their vaccinations before coming to campus.
If you begin exhibiting undiagnosed symptoms of COVID-19, you must wear a mask and be tested for COVID-19. Continue to wear a mask and limit contact with others while awaiting your test results.
For more information about Harvard’s COVID-19 policies and recommendations, visit their website: https://www.ehs.harvard.edu/covid-19-resources/activity-workplace-planning
Frequently Asked Questions
Are tickets still available for the spring concert?
Yes! You can still purchase concert tickets through the Harvard Box Office. Tickets purchased through the box office can be picked up at Will-Call in Sanders Theatre before the concert.
Where can I pick up my concert tickets?
If you purchased concert tickets through the Eventzilla registration website, you can pick-up your concert tickets during check-in for the weekend. This includes alums who purchased a stand alone Spring Concert Ticket or a Weekend Pass through the registration website.
People who purchased tickets through the Harvard Box Office can pick-up their tickets at Will-Call in Sanders Theatre ahead of the concert.
Where can I pick-up my alumni stole?
Pre-ordered stoles will be available for pick-up during registration. Stoles will also be available for purchase throughout the weekend for those who did not have a chance to pre-order.
What if I plan to attend the anniversary but didn’t register?
Please see the registration website to register. While Saturday’s lunch, the concert, and Sunday’s brunch require registration, you can still attend any of the other programming throughout the weekend.
Questions or concerns? E-mail anniversary@kuumbasingers.org.