Thousands thronged the George H. Cook Campus and New Brunswick/Piscataway facilities on the last Saturday of April as alumni, faculty, staff, students, and the public converged on Rutgers to learn and play. Adding to the mix were Alumni Weekend festivities throughout the university. This was the first time that the alumni reunion was timed to coincide with Rutgers Day, and early returns declare the combined weekend a winner.

Executive Dean Bob Goodman hosted his third annual "Let's Do Lunch with the Executive Dean" barbecue, with 130 alumni, faculty, retired faculty, students, and families enjoying the sunshine and good food. Liesje DiDonato (Class of '98) was the alumni co-host for the afternoon, and two Student Ambassadors, Kendall Snyder and Tim Olaloye, from the Office of Academic Programs greeted the guests and helped them check in. Check out the photo album at the Office of Alumni and Community Engagement on Facebook.

Rutgers Gardens is alive year-round with flora and fun, but starting in May, it really shows its stuff, and activities abound. On May 8, 9 and 10 come to the Gardens for the Spring Flower Fair and Ultimate Plant Sale. In addition to touring the Gardens, guests will be able to purchase plants ranging from trees and shrubs to ornamentals, vegetable and food plants and even rare varieties. May also marks the beginning of this season's Farmers Market at the Gardens, which runs every Friday from ll a.m. to 5 p.m. until well into the fall. Many educational programs fill the May calendar as well, from Gardens "walks" and "talks" to classes covering landscape design and special planting techniques. Visit the Gardens calendar for a complete listing.

It's not too early to plan your summer around the 2015 fairs that will take place in nearly every county in New Jersey. Starting on June 28 with the one-day Stars and Stripes Livestock Show in Burlington County, the first multi-day event is the Cumberland County Cooperative Fair in Millville, which runs from July 6-11, 2015. These family-friendly events typically include livestock, produce, and pet exhibits; crafts; face-painting; hayrides; contests; and more. Many fairs feature amusement rides, concerts, demolition derbies, tractor pulls, and even fireworks.

The Agricultural Fair Association of New Jersey maintains a website with a listing of all the fairs by location and by date, along with other information about the fairs program.

May 5, 2015 - Rutgers Energy Institute's Tenth Annual Energy Symposium, Fiber Optics Auditorium, Busch Campus

May 8-10, 2015 - Spring Flower Fair, Rutgers Gardens

May 17, 2015 - Rutgers University Commencement, High Point Solutions Stadium

May 18, 2015 - School of Environmental and Biological Sciences Convocation, 10 a.m., Passion Puddle

June 28, 2015 through September 20, 2015 - Annual 4-H, agricultural, and county fairs take place throughout New Jersey