The Premier Welcome Carnival of the Summer!
11AM - 3PM
Reitz Union Lawn
A Celebration of the Gator Nation
We are proud to present the Annual GATORMANIA celebration on Saturday, July 12th, 2008 at the Reitz Union North Lawn from 11 am-3 pm. Gatormania is officially endorsed by the University’s Weeks of Welcome Committee as the premier welcome event of the summer!
Purpose:
Now in its sixth year, Gatormania has grown into a campus wide celebration for the entire Gator Nation! This outdoor carnival is the largest summer event targeting all Summer B freshmen and returning students. It is also a required event for all Summer B First Year Florida students. The event focuses on showcasing the diverse cultures found at the University, and is intended to foster a sense of pride in being a Florida Gator! Last year, over 1000 students and faculty/staff participated in the event and this year we anticipate numbers to grow even further.
Special features of Gatormania include:
Carnival booths featuring student organizations, Division of Student Affairs resources, and departments
- “Around the Gator Nation” Talent Showcase including Gator Greeks Wild-N-Out and the Gator Get Down
- Gator Fashion Show co-hosted by UF Bookstores
- Water slides and water balloon battle!
- Inflatable games including B-Ball Shootout, Bounce House, Obstacle Course, Joust, and more!
- Special appearance by Albert & Alberta
- Carney Contest!
- Free treats including sno-kones, cotton candy, popcorn, and Pepsi!
- Entertainment by DJ Loki and open dancing
- Graffiti Expo
- Hundreds of prizes and giveaways!
History:
Originally founded as Salsamania by Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity, Inc. and the Institute of Hispanic-Latino Cultures, it was intended to be a summer WOW event for Hispanic-Latino students. Its second year, it became a collaborative effort with the Asian Student Union. However, due to popular demand, several other multicultural student organizations wished to participate and so the event quickly grew! During it third year, the name was officially changed to Gatormania to reflect the variety of student organizations that were participating and the carnival celebration was born! Still hosted by the Institute of Hispanic-Latino Cultures in the Dean of Students Office, Gatormania is a day long celebration of the campus community and kicks off the new academic year!