UA Little Rock to Welcome Campus Community to BBQ at Bailey Oct. 4 at the Grove
The University of Arkansas at Little Rock will celebrate the return of the campus community for the new school year with the popular BBQ at Bailey event Wednesday, Oct. 4, at the Grove behind the Fine Arts Building.
The tailgating-style event will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on the UA Little Rock campus. While you’ll still find the same great food, music, company, and school spirit, this year’s celebration will not be found at the Bailey Alumni and Friends Center due to the construction of a new alumni patio in front of the Bailey Center.
Instead, BBQ at Bailey will be held at the Grove, a lovely newly upgraded shaded outdoor gathering space behind the Fine Arts Building, as well as the beautiful campus green space between the Fine Arts Building and the Bailey Center. The Grove is one of several campus renovation projects that is being funded by a generous grant from the George W. Donaghey Foundation.
Next year, UA Little Rock looks forward to going back to Bailey with the addition of a beautiful, newly constructed alumni patio that will house the alumni bricks that were previously placed in front of Ottenheimer Library.
“We are excited to have BBQ at Bailey in the Grove this year, and even more, we welcome our alumni to join us to reconnect with our faculty, staff and students,” said Kristi Smith, associate vice chancellor for alumni and development. “It is our goal to increase our alumni presence in the community and what better way than to invite our grads back to see for themselves the great things happening on campus.”
Hosted by the UA Little Rock Alumni Association, the picnic is a wonderful way for students, employees, alumni, and friends of the university to enjoy some great barbecue, fellowship, and fun.
Whole Hog Cafe will cater the event with treats from Community Bakery. Students are encouraged to stop by, grab some free stickers and fans, visit with student organizations, take a selfie with the UA Little Rock backdrop, play Baggo and other fun lawn games, and mingle with other students, alumni, faculty, and staff.
Bryan Hosto, the 2021 Distinguished Alumnus of the Year for the School of Business, and Dr. Danyell Crutchfield Cummings, past president of the Alumni Board of Directors, are serving as co-chairs of BBQ at Bailey.
“I always look forward to BBQ at Bailey,” Hosto said. “It is a great chance for anyone- Alumni, Students, Friends, or anyone else to connect or reconnect with Little Rock’s University while enjoying a free meal at our beautiful campus. It is a great event, and I encourage everyone to join us!”
“BBQ at Bailey is an opportunity to catch up with old friends and meet new ones,” Cummings added. “It’s a campus tradition that promises music, food, and fun for our UA Little Rock family!”
UA Little Rock supporters can sign up for the Alumni Association to support scholarships for deserving students. Faculty and staff can join for $30, and students can join for $10.
BBQ at Bailey is sponsored by the UA Little Rock Office of the Chancellor and the Office of Alumni and Development.
