• Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

College Magazine

College Life, Dating, Career & Campus Advice

  • Colleges
    • College Guides
    • College Rankings
    • Campus Life
      • Academics
      • Dating
      • Freshman Year
      • Health
      • Social Change
      • Party
  • Majors
    • All Majors
    • Most Popular Majors
    • Choosing a Major
  • Intern
    • Internship Directory
    • How to Get an Internship
    • How to Write a Resume
    • How to Write a Cover Letter
    • How to Interview
    • How to Network
    • Career 101
    • Find Your Passion Career
  • Money
    • How to Make Money
    • How to Save Money
    • How to Get a Job
    • Credit Cards 101
    • FAFSA
    • Ramen Project
  • Travel
    • Study Abroad
    • College Spring Break
    • How to Travel Cheap
    • Things to Do
  • Shop
    • Writer Course
    • College Magazine Shop
    • Gift Guides
    • College Packing List
  • Find your college or university
  • Colleges
    • College Guides
    • College Rankings
    • Campus Life
      • Academics
      • Dating
      • Freshman Year
      • Health
      • Social Change
      • Party
  • Majors
    • All Majors
    • Most Popular Majors
    • Choosing a Major
  • Intern
    • Internship Directory
    • How to Get an Internship
    • How to Write a Resume
    • How to Write a Cover Letter
    • How to Interview
    • How to Network
    • Career 101
    • Find Your Passion Career
  • Money
    • How to Make Money
    • How to Save Money
    • How to Get a Job
    • Credit Cards 101
    • FAFSA
    • Ramen Project
  • Travel
    • Study Abroad
    • College Spring Break
    • How to Travel Cheap
    • Things to Do
  • Shop
    • Writer Course
    • College Magazine Shop
    • Gift Guides
    • College Packing List
  • Find your college or university
  • About Us
  • Team
  • Write
  • Apply
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sign Up
  • Advertise
  • My Account
  • Cart

You are here: Home / Campus life / What to Do in the Swamp: The 10 Best Events at the University of Florida

What to Do in the Swamp: The 10 Best Events at the University of Florida

April 30, 2015 //  by Emanuel Griffin

Share1FacebookTweet

The University of Florida is a school unlike any other. The school calendar is marked up with incredible events filled with larger-than-life performers, free food and thousands of screaming fans all dressed in blue and orange. But with so much awesome stuff going on throughout the year, how do you know which events to attend? To prevent you from having to skip class and study time, College Magazine has created a bucket list for y’all. Here are the top 10 events you can’t miss when you are at UF.

Gator Growl

giphy.com

Gator Growl is the most exciting event at UF. Straight up. It is the school’s largest gathering and an incomparable mashup of comedy, sports and music. Its lineup of superstar performers has included Dave Chappelle, Dane Cook, Kevin Hart, Foster the People and Ludacris. It is also considered ‘Merica’s largest pep rally. Pep rallies may get a bad rep, but Gator Growl is definitely way more Coachella than your high school auditorium.

Homecoming Football Game

giphy.com

Surreal is one word to describe the excitement of this game. Terrifying is another. Once, people confused our fans’ hollering for an earthquake. Just saying. But the real party starts before the game during  tailgating shenanigans that go from dusk to dawn. The campus basically shuts down and anyone not at the game suffers from extreme attacks of FOMO.

Gator Stompin’

giphy.com

A UF tradition that seems too good to be true. You get access to 85 nightclubs with awesome performers and bars with free drinks (if you’re 21 or older) just for having a t-shirt.  Buy a $20 shirt in exchange for free food, club-hopping, keg stands and live music from today’s hottest artists—what more can you ask for? Plus, the shirt is pretty dapper. You should multitask and explore all that downtown Gainesville has to offer while having a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

GatorLan

giphy.com

Host to the largest free gaming event in the state, the University of Florida’s gamers go hard. No matter what type of game you’re into, fighting, RPGs or sports, there is a tournament for you. There tons of anime fans cosplaying and bringing the characters from Dragonball Z and Naruto to life. Nintendo, Sony and other gaming companies are also regular guests. You can win hundreds of dollars (aka tuition), cool prizes and meet some of the people behind your favorite games.

The Great Underwear Dash

giphy.com

These are the type of events that inspire scenes in American Pie movies. The Great Underwear Dash is, well…exactly what it sounds like: hundreds of college students with minimal dress running a marathon. You can donate your clothes prior to the dash to charity, so it is both hilariously fun and philanthropic.

Rally in the Swamp

giphy.com

This is hands-down the best way to kick off your school year. Held at the beginning of fall, it welcomes students back to school by introducing the football team and serving tons of free food. Come celebrate what being a Gator is all about. If you’re not interested in football, you can settle for checking out the cheerleaders while getting fed.

TedxUF

giphy.com

While most people watch Ted Talks wishing they could exchange their computer screens for seats in the audience, UF one-ups other universities by hosting it in real life. This event is an endless source of inspiration and offers insight into the minds of incredibly successful people from all over the world. You should be jealous. And taking notes.

Dance Marathon

giphy.com

UF loves its booze and philanthropy. To raise funds and awareness for the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, UF hosts the biggest community service event in the entire Southeast. This year’s event rose over $2 million and was a great excuse for every student to skip homework and get their groove on.

Big Orange Fest

giphy.com

Where else can you see some of the world’s biggest superstars for free? The Big Orange Fest has rides like a carnival, food like a fair and performances like a festival. This year’s headliner was T-Pain. And I repeat: it is all free. This fest is a godsend for all the students who are members of Broke Phi Broke but refuse to be victims of FOMO.

Student Government Elections

giphy.com

Politics aren’t usually cool, unless it’s Barack Obama delivering a speech with Key and Peele. But the University of Florida makes it cool without these three modern-day Wise Men. With one of the most well-funded and dynamic student governments in the nation, voting for student-body president at UF is like voting for the President of the United States. Almost.

Share1FacebookTweet

Filed Under: Campus life Life University of Florida

About Emanuel Griffin

I am a sophomore majoring in journalism at the University of Florida. I am living every day like it's my birthday. I am the greatest writer of the 21st century so you should read all of my articles.

You May Also Like

Top 21 Things to Do Prior to Graduating St. John’s University

10 St. John’s University Finals Activities to Help You De-Stress

10 Easy Ways to Make Sure Your Spring Semester Doesn’t Suck

A Gator’s Bucket-List: 21 Things to Do Before Graduating From UF

the receptionist

A Conversation with the Receptionist

best classes

10 Best Classes You Need to Take at Drake University

St Salvators Quad image

My Hate/Love Relationship With My Joint Degree Program

College students walking

Becoming a Chameleon at Other College Campuses

And Suddenly, I Found Myself Living With a Stranger

Top 10 Safest Colleges and Campuses in the United States

CampusLife_sm

CM’s Top 10 Schools Doing Residential Life Right

colleges for future philanthropists

Live to Give: Top 10 Colleges for Future Philanthropists

Top 10 COVID-19 Safe Activities to Do Near Fresno, California

One Girl and a Whole World: What I Learned from My International Friends

fog

10 Reasons Why Bennington College Is the Quirkiest College

crim dell bridge

10 Signs That You’re a True TWAMP: Typical William & Mary Person

10 Tech Gifts to Make Zoom University That Much Easier

10 Essential Steps Before Graduating at Penn State

Longsword and Fencing Mask Pictured in Front of Window

Swords, Bruises, and How to Find Joy in College

Fight On: 8 Reasons Why USC is Better Than UCLA

College Magazine’s 10 Best Colleges for Studying a Foreign Language

bruin belles two girls laughing

How You Can Get Involved with the Bruin Belles

10 COVID-19 Safe Activities Near Orlando, Florida

friend group

Top 10 FOMO-Worthy Events at St. John’s University

Previous Post: « How to Make That Job Application Your Bitch
Next Post: Look, Ma, No Hands! How No Experience Got Me a Research Position This Summer »

Primary Sidebar



Trending Posts

102

10 St. John’s University Finals Activities to Help You De-Stress

mental health
95

Pandemic and Academic Blues: Being Aware of Your Mental Health

68

Top 10 Colleges With the Most Fashionable Students

31

A Gator’s Bucket-List: 21 Things to Do Before Graduating From UF

Broadway
26

10 Musical Soundtracks to Make Study Sessions That Much Easier

Featured Chapter: St. John’s University

Footer

logo

College Magazine is the national daily guide to campus life. Our articles for college students feature university rankings of U.S. colleges, college guides, academic advice, college prep, career advice, student health and collegiate dating tips.

Written by students for students, by a team of journalists from universities nationwide, we’re on the pulse of the college experience.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Colleges

  • College Guides
  • College Rankings
  • Campus life
  • Academics
  • Dating
  • Freshmen Year
  • Health
  • Party

Majors

  • All College Majors
  • Most Popular Majors
  • Choosing a Major

Intern

  • Internships Directory
  • How to Write a Resume
  • How to Write a Cover Letter
  • How to Interview
  • How to Get an Internship
  • How to Network

Money

  • How to Make Money
  • How to Save Money
  • How to Get a Job
  • Credit Cards 101
  • College Loans

Travel

  • Study Abroad
  • College Spring Break
  • How to Travel Cheap
  • Things to Do

Shop

  • College Packing List
  • Gift Guides
  • About Us
  • Team
  • Write
  • Apply
  • Privacy Policy
  • Sign Up
  • Advertise
  • My Account
  • Cart

Copyright © 2021 College Magazine · All Rights Reserved · Powered by BizBudding Inc.