Northwest College is ready to begin another school year, and can now show off its new student center to incoming faculty and students.

New faculty orientation is Aug. 14, and the annual kickoff weekend begins Aug. 16.

The weekend is a chance for students to move in, meet up and make memories. It includes food and a mix of activities aimed at launching the new year with a whole bunch of smiles.

"This is your chance to jump into college life, connect with new people, and dive headfirst into all the fun NWC has to offer," the college says in its announcement of the event, which includes archery tag, capture the flag, water bonanza, a disc golf tournament, rock painting and tie dye, among other activities.

The morning of Aug. 16 is also when students can start moving into their dorms for the year.

The college is expecting similar enrollment to last year, when nearly 1,400 students were enrolled and more than 340 opted to live on campus. And with the new student center fully in use as of the spring semester, work has now switched to an update of the Orendorff Building, which will be closed 12-18 months for a major systems infrastructure replacement project.

Check nwc.edu/orb for updated information on where to find all the services and personnel who are normally in the building, including admissions, financial aid, the business office and mail services.

All students, whether they live on or off campus, full or part time, are invited, along with the community to Paint the Town Red on Aug. 22 from 4-10 p.m. The eighth annual event serves as a celebration of a decades long partnership between the town and college and includes live music, food trucks, games and activities for all ages.

Headlining this year’s entertainment is The Jared Stout Band, an alt-country powerhouse based out of southwestern Virginia, fronted by the soulful and relatable songwriting of Jared Stout and backed by a group of talented and emotionally charged musicians.

This year’s opening musical act is Dulcet River, a musical duo featuring Kathy and Tom Walker, who perform a blend of original music with a variety of musical genres while covering artists such as George Strait, Bob Dylan, Radiohead, REM, Coldplay and many others. Known for their creative acoustic arrangements, strong vocals and engaging performances, the couple has been performing locally since 2017.

Dulcet River takes the stage at Plaza Diane at 5 p.m., followed by The Jared Stout Band from 6-8 p.m.