Arkansas State University Events that Give Free Stuff
New or current college students bask in the word “Free.” Getting stuff for nothing sounds a million times better when it’s when college is involved. Arkansas State University students drowning in homework, running off three hours of sleep or less, having mental breakdowns, or simply overachieving can all agree that freebies make their day a tad bit better.
Arkansas State University Games
Game time brings students at Arkansas State University chances to release their pumped and competitive spirit. Especially since students enrolled at Astate get into home games free! Enjoy a study break for some competition and sideline action. Opening home games bring free shirts and sideline games for students to take part in.
Pack Pride and Yell Like Hell events allow students to grab even more free things. Pack Pride takes place once before the basketball season and Yell Like Hell takes place once before the football season. Organizations gather together, sing their chants as loud as they can, and cheer on the Astate sports team playing. Every year they have free shirts and sometimes they have a bag worth snagging.
Have your Astate ID with you to get into the games for free, download the Astate app for the QR code that will be scanned, and earn your freebies.
Homecoming Week
Gear up for a fall semester with a week dedicated to Arkansas State University! Homecoming week brings exciting events for a whole week straight. The Student Activities Board picks a theme each year for homecoming’s focus and this past year’s theme centered around the Lion King.
Last fall semester’s homecoming week featured the magician Peter Boie, movie night, Dunk a Red Wolf (not an actual wolf- members of Astate signed up to get dunked), the annual Astate Parade, downtown block party and Yell Like Hell to wrap up the week. All but one of these events took place on campus.
On the football field, the live animation Lion King played for interested Astate students to bring a watch (bringing blankets and snacks are a must.) Dunk a Red Wolf helped students not only relieve stress but it also provided free Andy’s Frozen Custard and collected canned food items for the community.
At night, students can either participate or watch floats, chants, and nonstop smiles as they move through the Astate campus when the Arkansas State University annual parade marches through. When the parade is over, students can drive to downtown Jonesboro for the downtown block party. Businesses in Jonesboro’s downtown area normally give discounts on their food or merchandise during this event, keep in mind not all businesses give free of charge items. Yell Like Hell brings everyone’s energy to the football field for competition, trophies, and chants to pump up our fall sports teams before their first games.
Homecoming week also brings competition with nominating king and queen of Arkansas State University! Make sure to bring your phone with the Astate App to score your free shirt! Homecoming events provide free of charge access to all students with their Astate ID each day (excluding the downtown block party.)
Springfest
Much like homecoming week, Springfest embodies the same elements, but takes place in the spring rather than the fall. This event brings a day of free activities and a concert. Each year Springfest is different, the Student Activities Board tries to keep it lively and engaging each year.
Students look forward to Springfest every spring because it brings a pick me up for students dragging through the cold spring semester. These activities take place on the student union’s front lawn. In years past, this brought waterslides, carnival rides, a petting zoo, laser tag, carnival games, snow cones, and much more!
The student body year after year votes between three artists they wish to see perform at the free concert held during the week of Springfest. After polling the nominees, the top chosen artist comes to Arkansas State University and gives a concert.
Silent Disco
Who goes to a disco with no music? Arkansas State University students do! The name sounds a tad silly, but it’s proven an effective way to gather students together for enjoyable moments. Arkansas State University students that wish to participate, go to a large room in the student union, put on different headphones and dance with their friends.
Sounds normal, where’s the catch? Each headphone plays different music. So everyone dances, but not all to the same tunes. This disco brings individuals together without communicating through words. During dance breaks, participants can divulge in sweet treats provided, like Andy’s Frozen Custard.
Welcome Week
The first week of classes at any campus shows stressful for some and bright for others, nonetheless, campus stays bustling. Arkansas State University’s first week of classes means the annual Welcome Week fun! Welcome Week breaks the ice with ways to take a breather, hang with friends, make new friends, and brace the oncoming semester.
In years past, events ranged from Water wars (huge water balloon fight), Aux Cord Wars (who can play the best song, the audience decides), Luau (flowers around the neck, free snow cones in hand), breakfast waffle bars, and many others!
Welcome week also presents the organization fair. Hear this information out- Clear out bags, backpacks, and lunch plans because this fair is the ULTIMATE place to gather tons of free items and food! Stuff bags with free cups, T-shirts, key chains, buttons, koozies, pens, pencils, notepads, hats, bags, and so much more. Get a free lunch by gathering the fairs free pizza, sandwiches, candy, cupcakes, sodas, and other munchies!
Other free events
Arkansas State University’s annual Mom’s Day invites all students and their mothers, grandmothers, and/or women who played a mother role in the students’ lives to attend Mom’s Day. Think of this as a free Mother’s Day! This event caters lunch to participants and takes place at the chancellor’s house all free of charge to students and their moms.
Seafood fills the hearts of many and numerous Astate students crave good seafood. Spring semester fills stomachs with a free crawfish boil that comes to campus. Imagine crawfish poured onto tables, plates at the entrance, napkins for the messiest of hands, that all equals an Astate crawfish boil!
People may think age stops people over 16 from participating in Halloween, but that could not be further from the truth when it comes to college students! Every year Arkansas State University holds Trick or Treat with the Greeks. Students interested, go to the front lawn of the student union and fill up their buckets, bags, backpacks, pockets, etc, with candy handed out by each of the Greek organizations on campus.
Each semester movie night takes place for all Astate students to enjoy. The movie varies from semester to semester, but normally Arkansas State University aims to play recently released movies. At certain showings, free popcorn is passed out, although it depends on what organization hosts the movie.
College takes the cake when it comes to delivering ups and downs. Some days bring dumper trucks loaded with homework, other days bring new friends and experiences. On special occasions, college fetches the fun and the free to give students a sense of ease. Events listed ring free to all Arkansas State University students as long as they present their student ID along with the downloadable Astate app (also free to download.)
