Parade, picnic to kick off ASU Centennial Celebration festivities

March 4, 2009 --  A full slate of activities scheduled for Wednesday, April 1, will usher in Arkansas State University’s Centennial Celebration with Founders’ Day activities, including a lawn picnic and a parade in downtown Jonesboro.

ASU begins a year-long celebration of its first 100 years with float displays and judging at 10 a.m., followed by a picnic on the lawn from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. A Centennial Celebration Ceremony and re-dedication of ASU’s historic arch is also on tap. All events will be at the Historic Quadrangle, which is the area near the Historic Arch located south of the Administration Building and Wilson Hall, north of the ASU Library, bounded on the west by Cooley Drive and on the east by Caraway Road.  At 6 p.m., the party adjourns to Main Street for the Centennial Parade.

All ASU students, groups, organizations and clubs are encouraged to participate in the parade with a decorated float, vehicle or walking unit using the parade theme, “Arkansas State University: Embrace Our Past, Imagine Our Future.”

Parade entry organizers must fill out an entry form and a release form and submit both forms to the Centennial Celebration Office no later than two weeks before the parade. All forms must be registered with the office before an entry will be accepted. Mail forms to the ASU Centennial Celebration Office, P.O. Box 2050, State University, AR 72467, or contact the office at (870) 972-2803.

Completed floats must line up on the Historic Quadrangle of the ASU campus beginning at 5 p.m., Tuesday, March 31. Judging of the finished floats will be at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, April 1. Winners will be in three categories, including Most Group Participation, Most Creative, and Best Overall. Winners will be announced at the ASU Centennial Celebration Kickoff Ceremony at 2 p.m. at the Historic Arch.

Following the campus ceremony, floats will proceed to the designated downtown parade route.  The Centennial Celebration Office will provide $150 to each completed float entry to help offset costs.

For more information, contact the Centennial Celebration Office at (870) 972-2803.                         

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