Signature Events

Celebrate the start of the year with this 1.6-mile midnight fun run around campus starting at the Belltower. Hang out afterward with a post-race party and live DJ at the Brickyard.

Join the University Activities Board as we kick off a new school year with a Welcome Back Bash! We are taking over spaces around Talley Student Union for a late-night event, so come join us for fun, food, inflatables, activities, music, and giveaways!

Friday, August 16 | Talley Student Union | Time TBD

Enjoy an evening of fun as Wellness and Recreation helps you kick off the year with RecFest, an interactive event offering free food, inflatables, giveaways, and entertainment. Bring your friends and be part of one of the largest events on campus!

Sunday, August 21 | Miller Fields | 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

New Student Convocation is the opportunity for first-year students to kick off the academic year with 5,000 of your fellow classmates, faculty, and staff while hearing from Chancellor Woodson and the Student Body President and participating in the Class of 2026 photo!

Sunday, August 18 | Reynolds Coliseum | 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Learn more about New Student Convocation

The Community Gatherings are the floor meetings residents attend after moving in. Here they learn about their building, meet people, and go over safety/emergency procedures. The location varies within your residential community, see community-specific information from University Housing staff during check-in.

Join the Panhellenic Association and all of its’ member sororities to enjoy some Howling Cow ice cream, learn more about sorority recruitment taking place over Labor Day Weekend, and meet members of current sororities in this social outdoor program to begin the semester!

Wednesday, August 21 | Stafford Commons | 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Join the Black Students Board for Back 2 School Jam! Come meet the Black student orgs and departments on campus for a free T-shirt! We’ll be at Talley Student Union, 3rd floor lobby from 5:00pm-6:00pm tabling and at 6:00pm, move inside Stewart Theatre to enjoy our student showcase featuring stepping, dancing, and more from 6:30pm-9:00pm!

Respect the Pack, hosted by Student Government, is an annual event exploring our campus community and our shared commitment to equity and inclusion on campus. This year’s event offers engaging presentations and a panel composed of campus leaders that detail the unique aspects of our students and campus. Join us to learn about everything NC State has to offer and help us reaffirm our commitment to your success!

Thursday, August 22 | Talley Student Union | 6:00 p.m.

Learn about ways to connect with a variety of student organizations, academic programs, and campus services. Don’t forget to talk with student organization leaders and meet faculty and staff that can help you navigate the journey! This event is sponsored by Student Involvement.

Friday, August 23 | Stafford Commons | 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Packapalooza™ is an all-day block party and street festival capping off Wolfpack Welcome Week at the start of the academic year. We will have everything it takes to celebrate in NC State style, including great music, activities throughout the day, and fun entertainment for the whole family. Previous year’s events have had over 85,000 attendees with over 300 vendor booths, and over 40 sponsoring organizations.

Saturday, August 24 | Hillsborough St. | 2:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

This is your opportunity to continue building relationships with the students, faculty, and staff within your college! As your new academic home, you’ll want to begin making connections early, so come out to your College Connections and help NC State start to feel like home.

Held at various times by college