Indiana University Northwest will mark the 50th Anniversary on its Broadway campus with a free, family-oriented event on Friday, Sept. 18, from 12 p.m. until 6 p.m. There will be free food, games, prizes, and live entertainment throughout the day. This event is open to students, faculty, staff, and the community, and families are encouraged to bring their children.
With all of the colors, tastes and fun of a classic circus carnival, the IU Northwest 50th Anniversary Celebration is sure to bring smiles to children and adults of all ages. Complimentary foods include hot dogs, popcorn, ice cream, and cotton candy. There will be games for all ages, face-painting for kids, and bingo for adults. The Gary Fire Department will bring a Fire Truck and Fire Safety House to campus for the afternoon. There will also be exhibits chronicling the history of IU Northwest.
The entertainment lineup for Friday’s event is as follows:
12 p.m. until 12:30 p.m. -- IU Northwest Pep Squad
1 p.m. until 1:30 p.m. -- Children’s performance by IU Northwest Child Care Center
1:30 p.m. until 2 p.m. -- IU Northwest Pep Squad
2 p.m. until 2:45 p.m. -- Emerson School Jazz Band performance
3:30 p.m. until 4 p.m. -- Asian Dancers
4 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. -- Mexican Folkloric Dancers
4:30 p.m. until 4:45 p.m. -- The Bucket Boyz percussion group
4:45 p.m. until 5 p.m. -- Michael Jackson impersonator, Mr. Dijon Blackwell
5 p.m. until 6 p.m. -- O’Day Music Studios Rhythm & Blues Show Band
Entertainers will perform at the center of campus in the Library Conference Center courtyard. (Alternate locations have been arranged in case of inclement weather.) Maps of the games and activities on campus will be distributed at the two entry points for the event. These entryways will be located west of the Moraine Student Center (just south of the main campus parking lot on 33rd Avenue) and at the south entrance of the Library Conference Center on 35th Avenue.
Games include: Tug-of-War (at 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.), Sack Races (at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.), Twister, a Bean Bag Toss, a Duck Pond, and an IU Northwest Trivia Booth (all ongoing). Bingo games will be ongoing at Moraine Student Center. All games not assigned specific times will begin at 12:30 p.m. and run until 6 p.m.
IU Northwest has been part of the Glen Park community since 1959. During the past 50 years, the university has grown from an Indiana University extension campus into a master’s-level, degree-granting institution in its own right. It has also become a vital hub of education and culture in the City of Gary and in Northwest Indiana. On Sept. 18, visitors to campus will be able to learn more about IU Northwest’s history and contributions to the region, while also enjoying a day of family entertainment and fun!
The 50th Anniversary Celebration at IU Northwest will be held throughout the campus on Sept. 18. Parking will be available in the main campus parking lots at 33rd Avenue and Broadway, just one-half mile south of I-80/94. This event is free and open to the public.
For more information, contact the IU Northwest Office of University Relations at (219) 980-6800, or email decrawfo@iun.edu.