Everything you need to know about visiting DanceBlue 2024
LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 1, 2024) — Every year students at the University of Kentucky host the DanceBlue Marathon, a 24-hour no sleeping, no sitting dance marathon to raise money for the DanceBlue Kentucky Children’s Hospital Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Clinic. This year the marathon will be hosted in the legendary Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center, on April 6-7. Visitors are welcome Saturday, 7:30 p.m. to midnight, and Sunday, 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Here's everything you need to know about visiting DanceBlue:
Parking: Paid parking will be available at $2 per hour in the Rupp Arena High Street Lot located at 520 W. High St. Street parking will also be available around Rupp Arena.
Where to enter for visitors: Visitors, VIPs, and volunteers will enter through the High Street entrance into the South Lobby – the entrance closest to the Hyatt hotel.
Check-in: All visitors will be required to check in for the Marathon by providing first name, last name, and email. All regular Rupp Arena regulations will be in place, including no outside food or drink. Visitors will be required to pass through metal detectors.
Bag policy: Please see the Central Bank Center’s bag policy, linked here, which also aligns with Rupp Arena expectations. If you are a DanceBlue Clinic family and need specific accommodations, please email our Family Relations Chair, Meghan Ratliff, familyrelations@danceblue.org.
Accessibility: Accessible parking is available in the High Street lot. Accessible seating will also be available in section 30.
Visitor stands: Visitor seating will be available in sections 14 to 31.
Last-minute donations: Canning will be taking place in the stands and all cash donations will be accepted. You can also donate on the DanceBlue Network for Good page until 4 p.m. on Sunday, April 7.
The Bluetique: The DanceBlue merch store, The Bluetique, will be open multiple times throughout the marathon. Make sure to bring a credit card so you can rock your DanceBlue swag! The Bluetique will be open Saturday from 8:30-11:30 p.m., Sunday from 8:30-10:30 a.m., and 1:30-6 p.m.
Alumni information: The Alumni Kickoff will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 6, 2024 in the President’s Club (Club D). Check your email for a registration link! The entrance for the event is the High Street media entrance, close to the Central Bank Center main entrance off High Street. During the marathon, alumni seating will be in sections 22 and 23. Alumni hour will be noon-1 p.m. on Sunday, April 7.
DanceBlue is a University of Kentucky student-run organization that fundraises year-round and culminates in a 24-hour no-sitting, no-sleeping dance marathon. Over $20 million has been raised since 2006, making DanceBlue one of the largest student-run philanthropies in the South-Eastern Conference. For more information about DanceBlue, registration information, or to support its efforts, please visit www.danceblue.org and connect with DanceBlue on Instagram, FaceBook, and X.
As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.
In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.