Traditions
Traditions Unrivaled by Any
Our most signature traditions aren’t just a response to big wins or just a moment captured that we’ll soon forget, but at their core, our traditions connect us to our humanity. They are loud reminders that our motto is alive and well. It’s what separates their school pride from our school spirit. Simply put, our traditions are unrivaled by any. Before you walk that stage on the third Monday in May, these traditions are a must.
Arnold Palmer Day
Hosted by the Traditions Council each year, Arnold Palmer Day was created to honor one of the most esteemed golfers who attended Wake Forest College in the late 1940s and early 1950s. To this day, Wake Forest University celebrates Arnold Palmer for the support and love that he had for Wake Forest.
Bell Tower/Tunnel Tours
Each spring, seniors get the opportunity to explore the tunnels below Wait Chapel and the uppermost portion of Wait Chapel’s spire, where they get to leave their mark by signing their names throughout the chapel’s woodwork.
Deacon Dash | First-Year Field Run
Each year, our first football home game is marked by our newest Demon Deacons rushing across the field at Allegacy Stadium as part of the Deacon Dash for first-year students. It is one of your very first traditions and one you’re sure to remember for the next four.
D.E.S.K
D.E.S.K brings local elementary school children to campus each spring to create inspiring, colorful study spaces for students in their homes. A longstanding campus tradition, D.E.S.K was started in 2001 in partnership with Old Town Elementary after two WFU students identified a lack of workspace in the homes of the children they were tutoring. Today it includes four participating schools – Old Town Elementary, Cook Literacy Model School, Kimberly Park Elementary, and the Wake Forest University Freedom School – and serves as a fundraiser to support local education equity initiatives.
CP3 Day
Each year, we celebrate Wake Forest’s Hometown Hero, Chris Paul Day, with our Traditions Council, “Chris P” Kreme doughnuts, and fun basketball activities on Manchester Plaza!
Hit the Bricks
Hit The Bricks was started in 2003 as a campus-wide philanthropic event benefiting the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund and the Comprehensive Cancer Center at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist. Each fall, teams of students, faculty, staff, and alumni gather on Hearn Plaza taking turns running and walking laps around the Quad to show their solidarity in the fight against cancer.
Lovefeast
Moravian student Jane Sherrill Stroupe (’67) organized the first Wake Forest Lovefeast in December 1965. Two hundred students gathered to celebrate the traditional meal. Since then, the Wake Forest Lovefeast has grown to be the largest Moravian-style Lovefeast in North America and one of the favorite features of Wake Forest tradition.
Pitsgiving
A Fall favorite, Pitsgiving is a WFU-styled Thanksgiving Dinner gathering in our beloved Pit right before finals and the holiday break. Deacon Dining prepares all of our Thanksgiving dinner staples, and the line is usually out of the door, so make sure you get a table!
President’s Ball
A biennial Wake Forest tradition, the President’s Ball is one of the biggest nights of the year, celebrating our President with students, faculty, and staff. The event welcomes thousands of Wake Forest community members and has become a highlight of many students’ experiences at Wake Forest.
Pro Humanitate Days
Pro Humanitate Days are our annual days of service where Wake Forest alumni, families, students, faculty, staff, and friends around the globe come together and take action for our Pro Humanitate motto, “For Humanity.” You can complete a Pro Humanitate activity individually or join a volunteer-organized project in your community with a group.
Project Pumpkin
Project Pumpkin is a signature student-led community-building event that began in an effort to bring together both the campus and Winston-Salem communities started by Wake Forest student Libby Bell (’93) in 1988. Since its inception, Wake Forest students, faculty, and staff have partnered with multiple local schools and agencies to bring children to the Reynolda Campus and create a fall festival that includes trick-or-treating entertainment, and educational activities.
Rolling the Quad
Since the 1950s, enthusiasm for athletic victories at Wake Forest University has been measured by the toilet paper in the trees. A unique Wake Forest tradition, students, alumni, and other fans celebrate game wins by “rolling the quad,” covering the center of campus with streamers of white tissue.
Wake ‘N Shake
Each spring, Wake Forest students stay awake and on their feet for 12 straight hours for the Wake ‘N Shake Dance Marathon, benefitting the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund and the Comprehensive Cancer Center at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist. Wake ‘N Shake is the largest student-run philanthropy at Wake Forest. In 2022, students surpassed $3 million in lifetime fundraising through Wake ‘N Shake.