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Drone footage of fireworks at First Night Carolina

Fomo No More 2025

Mark your calendars for these can't miss Carolina Welcome events

Posted on: August 8, 2025; Updated on: August 8, 2025
By USC Social Team, usctoday@mailbox.sc.edu

Welcome to Carolina! We’ve been waiting for you.

As the home of the nation’s best first-year student experience among public universities, you better believe that we pull out all the stops when we welcome Gamecocks back to campus each fall. This year is no exception. From First Night Carolina to College Colors Day, get ready to sandstorm with new friends, show off your Gamecock spirit and make the most out of the Carolina Welcome Experience.

First Night Carolina 

📍    The Horseshoe and Greene Street
⏰     7 p.m.
📅     Monday, Aug. 18

Picture this: You’re on the Horseshoe Sandstorming for the first time as a student with 7,000 new friends at Cocky’s Call. Your next stop is Greene Street for a huge block party. The night ends with a fireworks show shot from the top of Russell House. Life is good.

Pro tip: Don’t party too hard! First Night Carolina always takes place the night before the first day of classes.

  • Cocky on the Horseshoe with students and cheerleaders
  • Group of students swing towels around and participating in sandstorm
  • Two girls holding "Welcome Home Gamecocks" sign
  • Student looking at fireworks

 

  • RecFlix N' Chill

    📍    Wellness and Fitness Center
    ⏰    7-10:30 p.m.
    📅    Tuesday, Aug. 19

    Enjoy a movie night in the pool with free snacks and treats at RecFlix N’ Chill. This year's showing will include How to Train Your Dragon at the Wellness and Fitness Center. The Wellness and Fitness Center offers state-of-the-art amenities designed to meet your fitness needs, including a weight room, cardio deck, and even a 52” climbing wall.

  • 3 women in the pool on floaties
  • Marshmallow being roasted over a fire pit.
  • Men playing beach volleyball
  • two girls in gamecock shirts laying on pool loungers
  • Person getting a dino chicken nugget from a buffet.

AAAS cookout

📍     Greene Street   
⏰     5-8 p.m.   
📅     Friday, Aug. 22

Every fall, the Association of African American Students (AAAS) starts off the school year with a block party and cookout open to all students. This year’s theme is 90s/2000s Throwback. Join AAAS to learn more about the oldest and largest multicultural student organization and celebrate a new school year with food, fun, and music. Make sure to check their social media for yearly cookout themes.

  • Dj hand on a turntable
  • A male strolling on greene street
  • A large crowd of students dancing on Greene Street
  • A group of women smiling on Greene Street
  • Two ladies take taking a selfie

 

  • Girl signing up for a student organization.

  • Student Org Fair

    📍     Horseshoe
    ⏰    11 a.m.-1 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. 
    📅     Wednesday, Aug. 27th

    The No. 1 piece of advice we get from our alums to incoming Gamecocks is to get involved, and the student org fairs that take place throughout the semester are the best opportunity to find your fit. Search more than 600 student organizations on campus by logging into the Garnet Gate directory. There's a student organization for everyone. Don't bee-lieve us? Check out orgs like the Bee Keeping Club where you can get up close and personal with our honey-making friends.

    Garnet Gate

 

Football season kickoff 

📍  Greene Street   |   ⏰  12-2 p.m.  College Colors Day  |   📅  Friday, Aug. 29

Before the football season kicks off, they’ll need the ultimate hype man — you. Sport your garnet and black and join us for College Colors Day for a special event on Greene Street as we gear up for the first football game of the season. Also, don’t miss the official watch party at The Spur where you can cheer on the Gamecocks as they take on Virginia Tech at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 31.

Pro tip: Sign up for the Cockpit Rewards app to see which events help you earn reward points, to track your points and to complete the student ticketing process for all Gamecock sporting events.

  • 3 guys pointing at the camera and smiling at Williams Brice Stadium
  • Two football players running towards each other to celebrate.
  • Two girls smiling and holding up spurs with Carolina jerseys

 

  • A man holding a small child smiling with Cocky at Segra Park.

  • Night at the Fireflies

    📍 Segra Park   |   ⏰   6 p.m. gates open   |   📅 Thursday, Aug 28

    Night at the Fireflies kicks off Gamecock Entertainment's Thursday After Dark (TAD) series. Many TAD events are at venues off-campus and transportation is provided. TAD events include free mini-golf, skate nights, axe throwing, goat yoga (not to be confused with doing yoga with the G.O.A.T. Dawn Staley) and more.

    TAD Events

  • Segra Park
  • Two girls at USC Night at the Fireflies smiling and doing a spurs up.

USC events

Whew. We’re really just scratching the surface in this roundup. To keep your calendar up-to-date with all of the best ways to make the most of your time on campus, bookmark the USC Calendar and follow Gamecock Entertainment and UofSCStudents.

While you’re bookmarking pages, don't forget to save the Student Gateway, which includes links and resources that will help you throughout your time at USC.

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