The campus of William Woods University (WWU) is opening its doors to the Fulton and the surrounding community for a new local entertainment tradition – First Fridays!
Beginning this Friday, August 4, the students, faculty and staff of WWU will welcome members of the general public to campus for a series of free events during the first Friday evening of each month, featuring local talent and vendors. First Fridays, sponsored by the William Woods Office of Advancement, will be a year-long initiative with outdoor events from August through November before moving indoors for the winter months.
“We wanted to do our part in helping expand options for family-friendly entertainment, especially outdoor entertainment, and First Fridays is a means of offering that opportunity to our students and the local community,” said Dr. Tony Andenoro, Vice President and Chief Advancement Officer at WWU. “We want to highlight our beautiful campus as well as the area talent and vendors and hope to collaborate with local businesses and university teams, clubs and chapters to make this an all-around community engaging experience.”
The new series is another example of the University’s commitment to boosting the total college experience, both inside and outside of the classroom, of every William Woods student.
“First Fridays will bring the best local talent and vendors to campus on the first Friday of each month, and will be another interesting and inviting on-campus experience for our students,” said Dr. Ted Blashak, University Vice President and Chief Student Experience Officer at WWU. “It will also open the doors of William Woods to our wonderful surrounding community, so it is a win-win.”
First Fridays will kick off this week with a performance by C. Rock City, recently voted best local mid-Missouri band in Inside Columbia magazine, at the Sam B. Cook Ampitheatre. The evening’s activities will run from 5-9 p.m. with food trucks and vendors and live music beginning at 5:30. Attendees are encouraged to bring a chair or blanket for the performance.
Additional upcoming First Friday events will be announced in the future.
