Carolina blue gave way to string lights and food truck smoke at the Bell Tower on Monday night, as UNC-Chapel Hill swapped its usual formal University Day ceremony for an outdoor block party complete with live music, yard games and a light show. The celebration ran from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.; UNC's own description invited the campus community.
A Birthday Party Instead of a Ceremony
UNC-Chapel Hill has traditionally hosted a large, formal ceremony each October to mark University Day, but this year's version looked noticeably different, as reported by WRAL. UNC said the evening Bell Tower gathering would take the place of the ceremony historically held in Memorial Hall and that classes would remain on their regular schedule, according to unc.edu.
What is clear is what organizers promised for the evening event: a spectacular light show, student performances, giveaways, food trucks and more, per the university's announcement. The report notes the light show was timed to begin at dusk, after the 6:30 p.m. kickoff. WRAL's account of the party added specifics beyond the university's own post, describing live music, yard games, photo booths and student showcases, along with a university birthday sweet treat and a chance to win a stadium blanket.
Free Swag and a Closed Street
Organizers sweetened the deal for early arrivals, promising free commemorative swag to the first 233 guests to show up, according to the same university announcement. To make room for the crowd, Stadium Drive between the Bell Tower and Gate 2 of Kenan Stadium was closed for the celebration, the university said.
Carolina's 233rd Birthday
UNC-Chapel Hill marked its 233rd birthday this year with the Bell Tower celebration. WRAL's report described the party as marking 223 years of the university.
The Day's Deeper Roots
Whatever the precise number, University Day marks the same historical moment every year: the laying of the cornerstone of Old East, UNC-Chapel Hill's first building and, per the university, the oldest state university building in the nation. That cornerstone was set in 1793, according to unc.edu's history and traditions page. The Carolina community has marked the occasion with some form of University Day observance since 1877, when the tradition was first celebrated, according to our.unc.edu. The date itself, October 12, has remained fixed to that original cornerstone-laying for nearly a century and a half.
