Recent-Grad Weekend
Get ready to kick back, relax, and soak up the fun of summertime in Madison. Just like old times!
Start getting excited for a weekend of reconnection and celebration with other grads who recently entered alumnihood — coming June 16–18!
Meanwhile, check out pics from last year’s Recent-Grad Weekend in the photo gallery below. Plus, sneak a peek at last year’s schedule of events for a preview of what to expect.
Photo Gallery
2022 Schedule
Friday, June 24
| 6–10 p.m. | Check-in in the lobby of 650 N. Lake Street. |
| 6–10 p.m. | Recent-Grad Reception at One Alumni Place. Two drink tickets and appetizers are included. |
| 7–10 p.m. | A Night on the Terrace hosted by DJay Mando, in partnership with WUD Music |
Saturday, June 25
| 10 a.m.–5 p.m. | Check-in in the lobby of 650 N. Lake Street (only if you haven’t checked in already). |
| 10 a.m.–12 p.m. | L&S Grads Welcome Event at the outdoor classroom in Alumni Park. Come spin the wheel for some free swag, and tell SuccessWorks where your L&S degree has taken you since graduation. Rain Location Update: Inside One Alumni Place |
| 11 a.m.–2 p.m. | Multicultural Rooftop Brunch at the Pyle Center, featuring DJay Mando. Two drink tickets and a brunch menu are included. Hosted in partnership with the WAA African American Affinity Group, APIDA (Asian Pacific Islander Desi American) Affinity Group, Cooweeja (Native and Indigenous) Affinity Group, and Latinx Affinity Group. All registrants are welcome to attend. Rain Location Update: 1st Floor, Pyle Center |
| 12 p.m.–sunset | A Day on the Lake, featuring rental discounts from Outdoor UW for registered attendees. Outdoor UW is in the lower level of Memorial Union at 800 Langdon Street. Subject to weather. Rain Update: Discount will be honored Sunday, June 26 |
| 2–5 p.m. | Pontoon Boat Rides on Lake Mendota. Sign up in One Alumni Place. First-come, first-served. Registration for each time slot begins half an hour before departure. Rides depart every half hour from 2:30 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. Rain Update: CANCELLED |
| 3–5 p.m. | Ice Cream in the Park at Alumni Park, in partnership with Student Affairs. Grab a free scoop of our beloved Babcock ice cream, jump around in the bounce house, and hang out with some of your favorite cocurricular campus programs and offices, including: the Center for Leadership & Involvement, the Gender and Sexuality Campus Center (formerly known as the LGBT Campus Center) and the Multicultural Student Center. Rain Location Update: Red Gym, next door to Pyle Center |
| 6 p.m. | Madison Mallards Game with seating in the Busch Light Duck Blind, featuring all-you-can-eat food until the end of the seventh inning and bottomless beverages until the end of the eighth inning. Wear your Badger gear! Transportation to and from the game will be provided. Pick-up from One Alumni Place will be at 5:30 p.m., 6 p.m., and 6:30 p.m. Pick-up from the game will be at 8 p.m., 8:30 p.m., and 9 p.m., with drop-off at One Alumni Place. If you are not taking the transportation provided, you can pick up your ticket at the front gate between 5:30–6:30 p.m. In the event of inclement weather, the Madison Mallards will announce if the game has been canceled or postponed. |
| 9 p.m.–2 a.m. | A Night on State: a private social mixer at State Street Brats at 603 State Street, featuring Badger trivia and BINGO games until 10 p.m. followed by music curated by DJay Mando. |
Rec Well Weekend Membership: Feel free to stop by the Nicholas Recreation Center this weekend for a tour and a workout. Participants will have access to the facility, equipment, and group fitness classes! Photo ID and Recent-Grad Weekend wristband are required upon each visit.
Scavenger Hunt
Ready for a challenge? Soak up the nostalgia as you roam campus and connect with other alumni to complete the Recent-Grad Weekend scavenger hunt.
Complete as many of the challenges below as you can. Remember: be safe and sensible! Post your findings on Instagram, Twitter, and/or Facebook (sorry, no TikTok) with #UWRGW2022 and tag WAA using @WisAlumni while you’re at it.
- Show off your Badger Pride. Take a photo of you in some Badger gear.
- Take a photo with Well Red Bucky.
- Take a video of three or more people singing “Varsity.”
- Get a photo of you eating Babcock ice cream — or giving a thumbs up to a cow.
- You can burn off the calories of two Skittles here if you’re up for the challenge, or maybe you’ve had a snowball fight here in the past.
- SERF’s out — just in the Nick of time! Get a pic at this new campus landmark.
- Ah, memories! Post a picture of you outside your first residence hall or apartment.
- Sneak a selfie with a food-delivery robot.
- Throw a W at the newest plaza on campus. It’s just Divine!
- Snap a selfie at “the kissingest spot in North America.” (Kissy face optional.)
- Share a picture with someone who lived in the same building where you once lived — but at a different time than you.
- Visit the fire circle at the “four lakes.” (Hint: it’s not the same place as the answer to #10.)
Meet our Official Host DJ
Djay Mando '16, Badger football and basketball DJ and former Milwaukee Bucks DJ, will be the official DJ of Recent-Grad Weekend 2022. Specializing in Hip-Hop, Electronic and Latin music, Mando will be curating our vibe for the weekend.
2020–2022 Recent-Grad Council Members
Shout out to the WAA Recent-Grad Council for helping to make this weekend’s event a success. Look for these faces on campus throughout the weekend; you can ask them questions or just say hi!
Special thanks to our campus partners: the College of Letters & Science, Student Affairs, SuccessWorks, Outdoor UW, and Wisconsin Union Directorate Music Committee.
Additional Information
If you are not leaving your vehicle at a hotel, we recommend UW lot 46 or the Lake Street parking garage for their proximity to activities and lodging.
For details on locations, parking options, and updates on construction around campus, visit here.
If you have any questions, please call or text Karla Foster at 608-234-7940.
The Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association continues to monitor and follow the latest public health guidance from local authorities related to COVID-19, and will hold this event in accordance with those recommendations. If updated guidance requires changes to the event, you will be notified via email or event signage.