UK Staff Senate announces Employee Appreciation Day May 21
LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 9, 2026) — University of Kentucky Employee Appreciation Day is Thursday, May 21, at Kroger Field.
Hosted by the UK Staff Senate, the event will be 11 a.m.-4 p.m. between gates nine through 12, including the President’s Pavilion. This year’s event will feature caricature artists, yard games, a photo booth experience, a live DJ and activities for participants to enjoy.
This year’s event giveaway is new — UK-branded beach towels. Towels will be available at the event on a first come, first served basis. To receive a towel, employees must present their UK ID or provide their UK ID number at the time of pickup. Towels must be picked up individually.
T-shirts will not be distributed this year.
The Kentucky Blood Center mobile will be onsite all day with special giveaways for those who donate blood. Walk-in donors will be accepted but donors can also schedule a time on the Kentucky Blood Center Mobile Drive website.
For more information, including parking and transportation, visit the UK Staff Senate website. For visitors with latex allergies, latex balloons may be present at this event.
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 healthcare. 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 $1.02 billion research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.