Oct. 9 - 10 the Coffee Lab will be hosting a series of events during the annual Homecoming.

Naperville, IL, October 7, 2026 – During North Central’s Homecoming the Coffee Lab will be hosting two events: a Roasting Demonstration and a Roast-Off while also being present at the game day Tailgate. The Roasting Demonstration will be held Friday, Oct. 9th from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM. The Roast-Off will be Saturday, Oct. 10th from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM. The Tailgate will be Saturday Oct. 10th from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM. 

The Roasting Demonstration will be led by Co-Founder Gerald (Jerry) Thalmann, guiding the audience through the roasting process. From the importance of heat, airflow, and timing, the audience will walk away with the knowledge of how green beans become coffee. Every attendee will also leave with a freshly roasted sample bag of coffee. The event is free and will be in the Larrance Academic Center (LAC) Oct. 9th from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM. Donations are welcome. 

The Roast-Off will consist of past and present Graduate Assistants who will compete against one another; they will create their own blends for the audience to compare and vote for their favorite while watching the roasting process. This free event will be in LAC Oct. 10th 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM, donations are also welcome.

The Coffee Lab will have a tent at the annual Homecoming Tailgate. The Coffee Lab will be serving free samples of hot chocolate and selling the newest product: the Cacao Crunch Bar. The Tailgate will be behind Res/Rec from 3:00 PM - 6:00 PM and donations are welcome.

For more information about Homecoming, check out North Central’s website HERE.

To learn more about the Coffee Lab, check out the website HERE.