Campus plans to celebrate sesquicentennial summer

As you plan your summertime activities, don’t forget the university’s Sesquicentennial Summer Celebration and Open House on Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 21-22. Varied entertaining and educational activities are being planned, according to sesquicentennial coordinator Peyton Smith.

“The celebration will be lots of fun for people of all ages, and it will provide a great opportunity for them to learn more about UW–Madison and sample some of the many resources it has to offer,” says Smith. “And for some, it offers a chance to become reacquainted with the campus and see what’s new.”

Events kick off Saturday evening with live music and dancing on the Memorial Union Terrace and a special program at the Elvehjem Museum of Art. The celebration continues throughout the day on Sunday, and concludes with a live 20th anniversary broadcast of Wisconsin Public Radio’s “Simply Folk” on the Terrace from 5 to 8 p.m.

Sunday starts off with a 3K/5K run/walk open to all, a free soccer clinic and a Health Sciences Fair, featuring interactive exhibits and demonstrations from 8 a.m. to noon on the west end of campus.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the agricultural campus will host an Agricultural/ Biotechnology Fair and a Life Sciences lunch. There will be farm animals to see and engaging science activities for the kids. Visitors can pick up a free potted birch tree, blueberry bush or rhododendron, and sample the sesquicentennial ice cream, “Praise to Thee, Our Almond Mocha.”

On the lower end of campus, including Library Mall, there will be music and other entertainment, educational demonstrations and arts activities for children from 1 to 5 p.m.

The Badger football team holds its annual Family Fun Day in Camp Randall Stadium Sunday afternoon, 1-2:30 p.m. Players and coaches will sign autographs and meet fans.

Open houses and tours will proceed throughout the day. For example, visitors will be able to go behind-the-scenes at the Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital, enjoy a sesquicentennial floral display at Allen Centennial Gardens, visit the renovated Red Gym and the Geology Museum, see a new exhibit at the Elvehjem, and tour the Arboretum by bus.

Parking in some university lots will be free Saturday and Sunday, and buses will shuttle visitors between events Sunday.

If you are interested in participating in the Sesquicentennial Summer Celebration or in volunteering for it, contact the Sesquicentennial office at 262-4315.