This year’s schedule for Welcome Weekend at UW–Platteville is so plentiful, it had to be expanded into Monday.
Welcome Weekend will be held on campus and throughout the community from Friday, Aug. 30 through Monday, Sept. 2. Classes begin on Tuesday, Sept. 3.
Welcome Weekend begins Aug. 30 with new student move-in from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m., followed by student convocation at 3 p.m. at the Williams Fieldhouse.
Other activities will include a Platteville merchant scavenger hunt and welcome picnic downtown hosted by the Platteville Area Chamber of Commerce as well as shuttles throughout the community. Free bowling will be offered at Pioneer Lanes and free movies will be shown at Millennium Cinema.
A Super Ball drop is planned for the parking lot near Karrmann Library on Saturday, Aug. 31 at 10 p.m. More than 1,600 Super Balls equipped with flashing lights will be dropped and prizes will be awarded.
An outdoor movie is on the schedule for Sunday, Sept. 1 at 8:30 p.m. on the west lawn near the Markee Pioneer Student Center. Local restaurants will provide pizza for the event.
As many as 75 students will be participating in a community service project on Monday, Sept. 2.
The all-campus Welcome Back Fest will be held on the west lawn of the Markee Pioneer Student Center Labor Day from 4 to 7 p.m., featuring the student organization involvement fair, inflatable games and displays by area businesses. In addition, the Klement’s Racing Sausages will be on site to race against Pioneer Pete, UW–Platteville’s mascot.
This year’s sponsors include the UW–Platteville Foundation, WGLR (97.7 FM), Cost Cutters, the Platteville Area Chamber of Commerce, Walgreens, Lands’ End, Wisconsin Bank and Trust, Kmart, Hartig Drug, Jimmy John’s, Platteville Dairy Queen and Country Kitchen.
A highlight of this year’s event will be the Monday evening concert at Williams Fieldhouse, featuring Scarletta at 7 p.m., Jason Michael Carroll at 8 p.m. and Chris Cagle at 9:15 p.m. Doors will open at 6 p.m.
Admission to the concert is $10 for UW–Platteville students and $15 for non-students before Aug. 30. Starting Aug. 30, all tickets will be $20. Taxes and a handling fee will be added to each ticket purchase. Tickets can be purchased at the University Box Office, located in the lower level of Ullsvik Hall, or by calling (608) 342-1298 or toll-free at 1-877-727-1CFA.
In previous years, the university has hosted top national recording artists such as Lady Antebellum, Sick Puppies, Saving Jane and Gloriana, among others.
David Nevins, director of student activities, believes this year’s line-up of activities should prove to be popular.
“The weekend is always phenomenal because we have such a good relationship with the city of Platteville, the business community and the Platteville Area Chamber of Commerce,” he said. “I am confident the students will find plenty of opportunities to get acquainted with campus and the community.”
The Welcome Weekend committee began organizing the activities in April. A complete list of events for Welcome Weekend can be found at www3.uwplatt.edu/admission/welcome-weekend.
