BBQ at Bailey Returns to Bailey Center Sept. 24
![UA Little Rock students, employees, alumni, and friends enjoy the 2023 BBQ at Bailey event. Photo by Benjamin Krain.](https://ualr.edu/news/files/2024/08/BBQ-at-Baileys-2023_463.jpg)
The University of Arkansas at Little Rock community will celebrate the new school year in style on Tuesday, Sept. 24, as the popular BBQ at Bailey event returns to the newly renovated grounds of the Bailey Alumni and Friends Center.
The annual campus picnic will take place from 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. at the Bailey Center, where alumni, friends, and the campus community will gather for great music, food, and company on the beautiful alumni patio. UA Little Rock is holding 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 25, as a rain date.
UA Little Rock dedicated its new alumni patio in May. The lovely space is home to more than 3,000 alumni bricks from as far back as 1927 that were previously housed in the courtyard in front of Ottenheimer Library. This is the first addition to the Bailey Alumni and Friends Center since it was built in 2002.
“We are thrilled to welcome back this beloved campus tradition to the Bailey Alumni Center,” said Kristi Smith, associate vice chancellor for alumni and development. “This is an opportunity that brings our campus community together and rekindles the spirit and connections that make our university so special. We are happy to welcome our alumni to once again discover their alumni bricks on our wonderful new alumni patio and to meet Sarah Grace Hall, our new alumni engagement coordinator.”
In a new tradition, UA Little Rock is inviting all alumni who have purchased a brick to come back to campus during BBQ at Bailey to find their brick in the new alumni patio.
Hosted by the UA Little Rock Office of the Chancellor and the UA Little Rock Alumni Association, BBQ at Bailey 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 with music provided by Klassik Entertainment. Students are encouraged to stop by and visit with student organizations, take a selfie with the UA Little Rock backdrop, play Baggo and other fun lawn games, and mingle with the campus community.
Bryan Hosto, the 2021 Distinguished Alumnus of the Year for the School of Business, and Rhonda Aaron, president of the UA Little Rock Alumni Board of Directors, are serving as co-chairs of BBQ at Bailey.
UA Little Rock supporters can sign up for the Alumni Association to support scholarships for deserving students. Faculty and staff can join for $30, while students can join for just $10.
UA Little Rock is celebrating its Centennial Campaign! The countdown is underway to the university hitting its milestone 100-year anniversary in 2027. The campaign pillars include scholarships, student support, program excellence, and the living and learning environment. Find out more about the Centennial Campaign by visiting ualr.edu/centennial.