CHICKASHA — A street festival sponsored by the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma will be held downtown on Thursday, Aug. 31 from 6-8:30 p.m. The 200 block of Chickasha Avenue will be barricaded from 3-9 p.m. “to allow time for set-up and tear-downs,” the City Council was told.
USAO plans to host an inaugural back-to-school event and meet-and-greet for the school and the greater Chickasha Area community,” according to Sheppard McConnell, the school’s vice president of collaborative enrollment management.
During the event, “We will transport our entire freshman class of 400+ students to historic downtown Chickasha,” he said.
The festival will feature various activities for all ages, including live music, inflatables, food trucks, vendors, local businesses, community resources, and an art exhibit, McConnell said.
“Our intent is to continue this event as a tradition in Chickasha that ushers in school every fall,” he told the council.
In a related matter, 17th Street between Alabama and Grand Avenue will be closed on Friday, Aug. 25, from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., for the annual “Move-in Day” at USAO.
“We do not intend to block off Grand Avenue, only the USAO entrance/exit” at 17th and Grand “where the pillars are located,” McConnell said.
“This day is reserved for our 400+ freshmen students and their families to safely drive up to their housing facilities (Lawson Hall Apartments, Sparks Hall Dormitory and Robinson Hall Dormitory),” he informed the City Council.
“This is a high-stress day for families, students and staff alike, so we are implementing a ‘drive-thru’ based system of vehicles entering at 17th Street and Grand Avenue to be checked in and organizationally and systematically directed to the housing facility they’ve been assigned, lessening traffic and increasing the safety” of an estimated 1,000 people including students, staff, parents and other family members.
The four-block street closure “will allow the safe entry of vehicles” to USAO’s campus entrance “without disrupting community members and neighbors,” McConnell wrote.