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Key Events

Below you'll find Key Events for K Week 2024! Beyond the Key Events, many student organizations host open houses, information sessions, and fun get-togethers, so you’ll want to check out all those offerings on the UK Guides app in August 2024 to see what interests you!

Since it is the second step of the orientation process to UK, all new students are expected to attend K Week and have the opportunity to customize their experience by creating a schedule that reflects their needs and interests.

Be sure to bring your WildCard student ID and BBNvolved Event Pass as attendance will be taken at many events.

When you’re not attending K Week events, we encourage you to explore campus and Lexington, stop by UK Bookstore to pick up any textbooks and school supplies you might need, and connect with others living around you. This time prior to the first day of classes is meant to ease your transition to the UK community and help you feel more comfortable on our campus!

Take a look at what the 2024 K Week schedule looked like below! If you have any questions about the 2024 K Week schedule, please feel free to reach out to us at k-week@uky.edu

Pre-K Week

There are a few events that will occur before K Week begins that you should know about! Check them out below. 

K Week Tabling Prep for Registered Student Organizations: 1 - 3 PM, 8/20

Join the Office of Student Organizations and Activities on Tuesday, August 20  for resources and supplies to prepare your Registered or Sponsored Student Organization for tabling at Campus Ruckus, K Week Open Houses and more! SOA will offer tabling supplies, trifold rentals, access to printing, and information on ways to engage students in tabling in the Center for Student Involvement (GSC A252) from 1 - 3 PM on Tuesday, August 20. Supplies, as available, will include fabric tablecloths, trifold boards, card stock and access to printing for handbills and flyers. Information on best practices in tabling will also be provided. 

Please come with intended printed materials prepared. Graphic design not available at this event. 

Kroger Back to School Bash: 8 - 11 PM, 8/20

K Week doesn't start until tomorrow, but the fun won't wait! Free shuttle buses will run continuously during the event and will pick up and drop off students at Wildcat Alumni Plaza (home of the Bowman statue on Avenue of Champions across from Memorial Coliseum) AND outside W.T. Young Library on Hilltop Avenue. Don't miss this fun opportunity to catch a bus with other UK students and enjoy a late-night Kroger run! Stock up on items for your room, soft drinks, snacks, school supplies, and anything else you might need to be at home at UK. You'll be able to buy all this and more while enjoying free food, cool activities, and prizes! Sponsored by Kroger, the official grocery partner of move-in.

Wednesday, August 21, 2024

It's officially K Week at the University of Kentucky! Check out all of the key events happening throughout the week and remember to download the full schedule here

Wildcat Welcome Festival: 7 PM - 10 PM, Alumni Commons (along Rose Street)

Kick off the school year at the Wildcat Welcome Festival! The UK Alumni Association invites all UK students to enjoy live music, free food, photos, and games at Alumni Commons. Come celebrate the new school year and have some fun. We will see you there! Sponsored by the UK Alumni Association and K Week.

Sensory/accessibility note: this event will include large groups and loud noises like music and cheers.

Thursday, August 22, 2024

College Meetings: 8 AM - 5 PM

All new students are expected to attend their designated meeting; attendance will be taken. Specific times and locations for each college can be found here

Sensory/accessibility note: depending on the college, this event may include large groups.

Campus Ruckus: 7 PM - 11 PM, Alumni Commons

What better way to kick off the new school year than getting involved on campus? Join in at the SAB annual back-to-school bash, Campus Ruckus, featuring up to 200 current student organizations with a night full of free snacks, t-shirts, and inflatables! Each organization will have a carnival game prepared to break the ice and share how to get involved. Sponsored by the Student Activities Board.

Sensory/accessibility note: this event will include extra large groups and loud noises like music and cheers.

 

Friday, August 23, 2024

Pick Your Path: Throughout the day

Pick Your Path is a day set aside during K Week for you to spend time getting to know more about some of UK's wonderful campus resources. You get to decide what you want to learn more about – attend as many as you want! You'll meet new people around campus, get free stuff, and learn more about UK. Check the UK Guides mobile app in mid-August for information on all the paths available.

Sensory/accessibility note: depending on the session, this event may include large groups.

Big Blue U: 7 PM - 10 PM, Kroger Field

Join the Big Blue Nation for one of K Week's best traditions! You'll learn UK cheers and songs, hear from UK President Eli Capilouto and coaches, and get your class photo taken on the football field! Be sure to wear your new K Week shirt to show your Wildcat pride and comfortable shoes. Attendance will be taken!

Sensory/accessibility note: this event will include extra large groups and loud noises like music and cheers; closed captioning will be available inside Kroger Field.

Saturday, August 24, 2024

Student Organization Open Houses: 8 AM - 6 PM

All day until Cat-A-Palooza

Check the UK Guides mobile app in mid-August for a full schedule of events and activities hosted by many of our registered student organizations.

Cat-A-Palooza: 7 PM - 10 PM, Gatton Student Center

Grab free food, listen to live music, see a hypnotist performance, recharge in our Chill Zone, enjoy crafts, and meet all of the awesome people behind the amazing resources in the Gatton Student Center! Sponsored by the offices and organizations of the Gatton Student Center.

Sensory/accessibility note: this event will include extra large groups and loud noises like music and cheers. A Chill Zone will be available at the event for those who need to decompress.

Sunday, August 25, 2024

Student Organization Open Houses: 8 AM - 6 PM

Check the UK Guides mobile app in mid-August for a full schedule of events and activities hosted by many of our registered student organizations.

K Week Chill and Grill: 6 PM - 10 PM, Woodland Glen Courtyard

Celebrate one last time before classes start! Pick up more free stuff, grab some food, take unique photos, and learn about the fun events still to come this fall. Stick around until 8:30 p.m. to enjoy a movie in the Woodland Glen Courtyard! 

The K Week team hopes you have an amazing first semester at UK! 
 

Sensory/accessibility note: this event may include large groups.

After K Week

The fun doesn't stop at K Week! There are many events occurring after K Week ends. Check some of them out below! You can also log into BBNvolved to find more at go.uky.edu/bbnvolved

Keep the First Day Photo Tradition Alive! 8/26

Get ready for the most picture-perfect tradition of the year! Remember those adorable first-day-of-school photos from your childhood? Well, guess what? We're keeping that heartwarming tradition going strong here at UK!

 

Every fall semester, as the campus buzzes with excitement, we capture the magic of your college journey's first day. It's not just a photo; it's a memory in the making!

 

But wait, there's more! Your amazing snapshots will be featured on the UK Parent and Family Engagement and Alumni Association Facebook pages later in the week. Imagine your family and friends back home, bursting with pride as they see you starting your semester in style! And because we love to spoil our students, we'll have coffee trucks in the morning sponsored by Interfraternity Council and snacks in the afternoon. Who doesn't love free drinks and food, right?

 

9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. – Wildcat Alumni Plaza

12:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. – The Bill Gatton Student Center Social Staircase

Labor Stay! 8/30 - 9/2

Make plans to stay on campus for the annual Labor Stay weekend, Friday, August 30, through Monday, September 2.   

Get excited for student-favorite events like the Street Fair and Slimestone, with movies, trivia, karaoke, yard games, service opportunities and so much more! Events will be held throughout the Student Center and around campus. And of course, you don't want to miss the first "Caturday" of the season – get your tickets for the first home football game here.  

Some Labor Stay events will be UK Invests eligible, so you can earn money when you attend. Make sure to check in when you arrive.