UK Appreciation Day | Staff Senate

UK Employee Appreciation Day In-Person: May 21, 2026 - 11:00am - 4:00pm - Location: TBA

August 10, 2025: The Special Events Committee is already planning for the 2026 UK Appreciation Day. To give you an idea of what UK Appreciation Day offers, see below for more information. We are planning to host this event at Kroger Field but must wait until later this fall for the spring scheduling availability.

Information for the May 2025 UK Appreciation Day below:
For folks who work on the Lexington campus or who want to visit in person, our annual in-person event will be held on Thursday, May 22, 2025, from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm, at Kroger Field in the concourse between Gates 4 and 9 as well as the President's Pavilion. This year's event promises to be filled with fun and excitement in a street-fair atmosphere, featuring food, inflatables, a live band, caricature artists, games, and activities for everyone to enjoy!

In-Person Appreciation Day | May 22, 2025

Join us in person at Kroger Field for our annual UK Employee Appreciation Day! We will have giveaways, inflatables, caricature artists, games, and free food for employees to enjoy.

Schedule of Events:

11:00 am - UK Appreciation Day begins!
11:00 am - 2:30 pm - Lunch will be served in the concourse by Gate 9
2:30 pm - 4:00 pm - Snacks will be served in the concourse by Gate 9
4:00 pm - UK Employee Appreciation Day ends

Throughout the day, be sure to take place in the activities planned to celebrate employees:

Delicious food and refreshing drinks
Caricature artists capture your unique personality
Engaging vendors showcasing amazing products/services and giveaways
Energizing music from our live band Zack Attack
Memorable photo booth moments
Bingo with prizes throughout the day
and much more!

Click the image below for an interactive map!

FAQs

Location: UKAD is being held on the Concourse between Gates 4 and 9 at Kroger Field. Click for the interactive UK map.

Bus Routes: Looking to take public transit to the event? Summer bus routes will bring you right to our event space. Buses will run ~ every 10 minutes. You can find a live bus route map online.

14B UK Blue Route: Kroger Field - Stop 5059
14W UK White Route: Kroger Field - Stop 5059

Parking: The following parking locations will be off patrol, meaning any attendee can park there with or without a permit. If you have a parking permit, we encourage you to park where you normally park.

Kroger Field Blue Lot: On-Site Parking Available

An employee parking map can be found online. If you want to purchase a single-day pass, please visit the Transportation Services webpage.

Walking: Enjoy the day and walk to our event! The link above (in location) will take you straight to the center of the fun!

UKAD provides employees in attendance with a free lunch from 11:00 am - 2:30 pm. This year's menu includes:

Pulled Pork (and buns)
Grilled Veggie Wraps (vegan)
Macaroni and Cheese
Kettle Chips
Cookies
Bottled Water, Canned Coke, Diet Coke, and Sprite

Pulled Pork and Kettle Chips are gluten-free!

Can I order a t-shirt now?

T-shirt orders for 2025 are closed.

How do I get the t-shirt I ordered?

Staff Senate is coordinating with department contacts for shirt pick-up. Once your department contact has picked up the shirts ordered, they can distribute as their schedule allows.

Will you have t-shirts at the event?

No. T-shirts will be picked up as department orders in the days surrounding UK Employee Appreciation Day.

What does this year's t-shirt look like?

Phone	859-257-9242
Fax	859-257-9240

In-Person Appreciation Day | May 22, 2025

FAQs

Parking and Transportation

Lunch and Snacks

T-Shirts