NEWS

Tar Heel Town festival to feature music, information, free posters and more Sept. 30

CHAPEL HILL -- "Learn about the Higher Education Bonds" will be the theme Saturday (Sept. 30) at Tar Heel Town, the free outdoor festival held beside Wilson Library before University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill home football games.

Information about the upcoming higher education and community college bond referendum will be available. Chris McClure, chief of staff for UNC-CH student body president Brad Matthews, will be honorary Tar Heel Town mayor tomorrow. McClure is leading an educational campaign on the bonds targeting students.

Face-painting, music, games and Carolina mascot Rameses also will be part of the alcohol-free event from 1 to 2:30 p.m., before the Tar Heels’ 3:30 p.m. kickoff against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.

Game-day highlights also will include music by the Marching Tar Heels, Carolina's 315-member student band, at Tar Heel Town and in Kenan Stadium, before the game and at halftime. The halftime show will feature a powerful arrangement of tunes by the band Tower of Power including "What is Hip?" and "Gotta Make a Change." The show will conclude with "Attitude Dance." Band member, Vamsi Tadepalli, a junior music major from Durham, arranged all three songs.

At Tar Heel Town, the entertainment will be an "Oldies 100.7 Beach Party with Big John." Big John is a disc jockey from WTRG radio (Oldies 100.7), a Tar Heel Town sponsor that will have a vehicle on site and distribute giveaways.

The Marching Tar Heels will sound a musical welcome for Head Football Coach Carl Torbush and the Tar Heels at 1:35 p.m., when the team bus pulls in beside Tar Heel Town on South Road. Fans may shout encouragement as the players head for the stadium to suit up, walking through a spirited musical tunnel created by the band.

At Tar Heel Town, the band will play favorites including "UNC Fanfare," "Here Comes Carolina," "Tar Heels on Hand" and "Carolina Victory." Carolina's cheerleaders and the band will begin leading fans to Kenan at 2:30 p.m., when Tar Heel Town closes. The band also will be performing the national anthem during the pre-game show.

At every Tar Heel Town this year, event sponsor Delta Express will give away two airline tickets. Fans may register during the event for a drawing near the close of Tar Heel Town.

Food, beverages and select merchandise from the UNC-CH Student Stores will be on sale. Fans can pick up free football posters, schedule cards for Carolina teams, schedule magnets, trading cards and Carolina blue bags of UTZ barbecue potato chips, donated by primary Tar Heel Town sponsor UTZ Quality Foods of Hanover, Pa.

Free activities for family members of all ages will include radar pitch games and an inflatable moonwalk. Fans are invited to bring cameras to take pictures of each other with Rameses.

Fans are encouraged to park in one of the pay lots downtown or to use the Chapel Hill Transit park and ride service which will be running buses to campus from the Carrboro Plaza Shopping Center, Southern Village, the Friday Center and University Mall. The fare for round-trip service is $4. Trips to campus begin 2.5 hours prior to game time from the Friday Center and University Mall and 1.5 hours prior to the kick-off from Southern Village and Carrboro Plaza. For more information about Park and Ride, call Chapel Hill Transit at (919) 968-2769.

Tar Heel Town also is sponsored by The General Alumni Association, The Educational Foundation Inc., the Office of the Chancellor and the Department of Athletics. For more information, visit the World Wide Web site www.tarheeltown.com, or call Michael Beale at 962-5193.

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