On Friday, Memorial Union hosted their annual Terrace Chair Return party, celebrating the start of spring and return of Madison’s iconic Sunburst-style chairs on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus.
The event featured dining from the reopened outdoor Brat Stands, samples of the “Sunburst Sparkler” beverages and a live performance by DJ Margaux on the main stage. Students, families and community members gathered to enjoy the new seating on the terrace.
Despite a foggy morning, hundreds of community members gathered to kick off Terrace season, marking the return of more than 2,000 chairs and the beginning of summer programming at Memorial Union.
Ben Kleick, director of marketing communication for the Wisconsin Union, told The Daily Cardinal he was pleased with the turnout and excited for the upcoming summer schedule.
“The weather didn't cooperate as much as we hoped, but look at the crowd — people are enjoying themselves.” Kleick said. “We always have a lot of great programming here, so once summer hits for real after Memorial Day, we'll have Monday night movies, Wednesday night, open mic, bands, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.”
Beyond offering an iconic community space, the Wisconsin Union works to give back to students at UW-Madison through purchases at the Terrace and the employment of nearly 1,800 students, said Shauna Breneman, public relations and communications officer for the Wisconsin Union.
“WUD creates and runs most of the Wisconsin Union’s Terrace season events and the majority of the Union’s more than 1,000 events throughout the year,” Breneman said.
For many students, the return of the Terrace chairs marks the change of the season, making Madison feel like a perfect college community.
UW-Madison sophomore Grace Voss sat with freshmen Hayley Schwartz and Taylor Sundeen, enjoying the Terrace atmosphere now complete with its signature chairs.
“It's exciting,” Voss told the Cardinal. “Now that the weather is getting warmer and everyone's out and about, it's just like an uplifting presence on campus.”
Shwartz and Sundeen agreed.
“It makes it feel a lot more like a community. We're all out here together and enjoying the weather,” Schwartz said.
Kleick, seated just a few tables away with his family, said this turnout is what makes the Terrace chair return so special.
“It's mostly the opportunity for people to come together — enjoy the lake, enjoy each other and enjoy these iconic chairs,” he said. “In marketing, you talk about what a great brand is. One measure is: do people get tattoos of your brand? People get tattoos of the Union Chair.”
