Event coordinators are revamping what used to be Destination Downtown into a new version of the welcome week event. The Loper Lot Party, being held from 5-9 p.m. on Aug. 28 at the Hilltop Mall parking lot, will feature a DJ, games, food trucks and a drone show.
The celebration was designed to connect students with each other and the community.
“It is really just a fun night out to get things rolling and off to a good start,” said Todd Gottula, senior director of communications and marketing. “It’s been a long tradition of the University to have this event and with kind of a twist this year, with a different location and a little bit different theme, with the drone show and name change. (It’s) kind of a rebrand, refresh of the event.”
The Loper Lot Party is open to everyone and allows students a chance to get away from back-to-school stresses while exploring what the community offers. Some of the games include bingo, ax throwing, escape rooms and yard games.
UNK alum Matthew Hahn will be playing music.
Festivities are also making their way inside the mall, as several businesses plan to create backdrops for photo opportunities. Kelly Tuttle Krahling, assistant director of Student and Family Transitions, said some are also offering giveaways, swag bags or discounts.
Tuttle Krahling said the community has shown a lot of interest in getting involved with the event.
“We love how much the community embraces UNK,” Tuttle Krahling said. “I love how much our community just opens its arms and hugs our students.”
The personalized drone show is designed by Fantasy Drone Shows from Norfolk.
“We’re super excited about the drone show,” Gottula said. “Kearney has never had one. We’ve been looking for some opportunities to do a drone show for the last year or so. It is something we’ve wanted to do, we have just been looking for the right opportunity. As the Loper lot party came together, it became clear that this was the perfect timing and an opportunity to have one.”
The University is providing transportation to the event, with pick up and drop off at the north entrance of the Nebraskan Student Union.
Tuttle Krahling said she is looking forward to students being back and having fun at the event.
“’I’m an event planner by trade,” Tuttle Krahling said. “That’s what I love to do, but it’s all fun and games to plan it, but it doesn’t really pay off until you see it, and you see the students getting to maybe try a new food they haven’t tried, or play a game, or run into an old friend and say hi. That’s why I do what I do.”
