By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
The annual March to Main event to welcome students to Hays will be back again this year with a new twist.
Tuesday’s event will feature the same great prizes, free food, goodie bags, discounts and annual parade from campus, but there won’t be the scavenger hunt.
“The businesses are still rolling out the red carpet for our students to make sure they feel welcome,” Downtown Hays Development Corp. Director Sara Bloom said.
Main Street will not be closed this year for the event. For the safety of the students, the event committee opted to not have a scavenger hunt. Students will receive a raffle ticket that will automatically enter them for more than $3,000 in prizes, such as cash, TVs, headphones and Apple Watches.
Students will have two sheets of activities to do in downtown in the two weeks (until Sept. 12) following the event. They can visit 20 participating businesses to earn chances to win even more prizes.
Many of the businesses are offering deals and discounts to the students during this time, such as discounts on oil changes, free eyebrow waxes, buy a cheesecake, get a cheesecake, and $5 off a nail service.
“Hopefully, it will be a more relaxed setting instead of scavenger hunt where they are running in to grab a ticket and only spending a few seconds or a few minutes inside of a business, ” Bloom said. “We hope they will take time to come down and really check out everything and maybe schedule an appointment or two or purchase something fun to take home after.”
Lineup for the event will start at 5:30 p.m. in the FHSU quad. The parade to Main will include FHSU’s Victor E. Tiger, cheerleaders, dance team and marching band, as well as faculty, and school and elected officials. It will start at 6 p.m.
FHSU, NCK Tech and Hays Academy of Hair Design students are all welcome.
A free meal is being catered by The Press. Oversized games will be available downtown, including checkers, lawn darts and Jenga.
Miami Over Moon will play from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. under the Downtown Pavilion.
Bloom said she anticipated between 500 to 700 for the event. The event will count toward students’ first 40 day activities.
March to Main is sponsored by the DHDC, Hays Convention and Visitor’s Bureau and the three participating schools.
“If you are a student we just want to welcome you home to Hays,” Bloom said. “We hope you will join us in the quad between 5:30 and 6, and make sure you are there by 6 because that is when the march starts. This event is for you. We want you to know you are welcome here in our community, and we want you to feel connected right off the bat.”