What’s Up: A guide to Welcome Week events for incoming Buckeyes

Helena Hennessy
Fri, 01 Aug 2025 00:11:41 +0000
Arts & Life, Campus, Events, Instagram Page, News, What's up, academic, annual, arena, arrival, arts, arts and life, attend, august, autumn, booth, buck-i-frenzy, Buckeye, campus, celebration, club, commencement, convocation, dance, dining, dorms, drink, early, Entertainment, events, fair, festival [and 48 more]

Credit: Zachary Rilley | Lantern File Photo

For incoming first-year students, Ohio State will be hosting a variety of events throughout Welcome Week — campus’ celebration of thousands of new Buckeyes.?

Welcome Week for the ‘25-‘26 academic year will take place from Sunday, August 24th through the following Sunday, August 31st. Read on to learn more about varying experience and information-based events.?

Friday, August 22nd:

Silent Disco (Newport Music Hall)

Located on High St., directly across from the Ohio Union, Newport Music Hall will host the first event of Welcome Week to celebrate students’ arrival to campus — their annual Silent Disco. Attendees will be provided with a set of headphones upon arrival to participate in an evening of song and dance. Participants are encouraged to sing their hearts out, as the soundtrack of the night will be played through synced noise-cancelling headphones, rather than traditional large-scale speakers.?

Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. and the event will run from 7-10 p.m. Admission is free upon presentation of a valid BuckID.?

Saturday, August 23rd:

WestFest (Lincoln Tower Fields & Women’s Field House)

This Welcome Week event will serve as a celebratory commencement of the week’s campus-based festivities. While the event is most accessible for residents of Morrill Tower and Lincoln Tower, it is open to all students. There will be a variety of vendors, community activities and entertainment acts present at the festival, such as field games, caricature and balloon artists, popcorn and cotton candy stands, Kona Ice and music.?

Sunday, August 24th:

Student Involvement Fair (South Oval & Main Oval)

First year students are encouraged to attend campus’ annual Involvement Fair to gain relevant information on student organizations. From 4-7 p.m., over 800 student-founded campus organizations, campus departments, and local nonprofits will line the South and Main Ovals with individual booths. Students representatives will actively engage with first years and provide information on ways to get involved across campus. Many clubs also hand out flyers and free goodies at their booths. Some organizations even allow students to directly enroll by simply providing their student email address.?

The student organizations will be grouped in their respective categories, such as academic, community service, special interest and more. Maps of the fair layout will be provided to students upon entrance.?

Monday, August 25th:

Convocation (Schottenstein Center)

This signature event serves as first-year students’ official welcome to the university. Hosted at the Schottenstein Center, students will hear from renowned university leaders and spokespeople, seasoned faculty, administrators and other special guests. This is where new students will be formally introduced to time-honored university traditions.?

Convocation is a special event as it is the only time that the entire class of 2029 is invited to gather together until graduation.?

Buck-i-Frenzy (Recreation and Physical Activity Center)

Held in and around the RPAC from noon to 3:30 p.m., Buck-i-Frenzy is a fun-filled event that offers unique opportunities for students to learn more about local and national companies. This lifestyle festival will provide the chance to interact with a variety of vendors — many of whom will be providing free food and drink samples – as well as complimentary merchandise and coupons.?

Considering the community nature of this event, there will also be opportunities for students to engage with their peers. Hundreds of Buckeyes will be walking through west campus as they scope out the landscape of the festival.

Wednesday, August 27th:

OUAB Block Party

From 6 to 9 p.m., the Ohio Union Activities Board will host an event on the South Oval. Dave Isaacs, a university spokesperson, said the event will give students the opportunity to mingle with others, take part in interactive activities and enjoy free food and music. Isaacs said due to scheduling conflicts, this year’s Buckeye Kickoff event will not take place. However, the block party will incorporate elements of previous Buckeye Kickoff events.

The event has not been officially announced at the time of publication. More details will be available on Ohio State’s Welcome Week website once the event is confirmed.