The Michigan State University Union will close out a yearlong celebration of its 100th anniversary with a Centennial Celebration Finale Friday, April 17, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. The event invites students, alums, faculty, staff, and local community members to gather in the main lounge, first floor and food court seating areas for an evening of food, keepsakes, interactive activities and commemorative moments.
The finale is designed as a true community celebration, blending history with student-centered fun. Attendees can enjoy free food from local favorites like Raising Cane's, Eastside Fish Fry, Detroit Wing Company and Dave's Hot Chicken, along with refreshers from Strange Matter Coffee. Guests can also receive enamel pins, commemorative balloons and the final vintage postcard in the Centennial series. Photo opportunities include a balloon display, a photo booth and full-size instant color portraits with the beloved Sparty statue. A limited-edition Centennial Celebration Cookie Jar ice cream from the MSU Dairy Store — a cake-batter-flavored ice cream mixed with cake pieces, fudge ripple, cookie dough and cookie chunks — will also be available while supplies last.
For MSU Union and Alumni Memorial Chapel Director Cathy Fitzpatrick, who has been involved in planning the centennial programming, one of the most meaningful parts of the finale is the unveiling of a new memorial marker outside the Union’s original entrance.
“When you see one of those large green Michigan State markers with the seal at the top, you know something special happened in that space,” Fitzpatrick says. “The MSU Union is special. Our spaces are special. And when people walk up to the west side of the union and see that memorial marker, they’ll know something meaningful happened there — and that this building has stood the test of time.”
The centennial marker will be unveiled shortly after 6 p.m., weather permitting, inviting attendees to step outside and mark the occasion together.
While the celebration honors the past, it also highlights the union’s role in shaping student life today. Fitzpatrick emphasized that the planning committee intentionally brought together people from across campus to reflect the union’s collaborative spirit.
“This event really pulls in elements from different parts of campus,” says Fitzpatrick. “We have alumni, students, faculty, and partners like the Spartan Spirit Shop, University Activities Board and university licensing all involved. It’s still very much a student event — something people can come to, relax, enjoy and feel part of the community.”
Interactive historical displays will also be featured, along with an activity encouraging attendees to reflect on what they want the next 100 years of the MSU Union to look like.
Centennial-related celebrations actually kicked off in November 2023, when the MSU Union honored the 100th anniversary of Excavation Week, a historic and one-of-a-kind initiative where male students, faculty and volunteers worked together to literally dig the foundation of the then-Michigan Agricultural College (MAC) Union Building. This came after acknowledging first the centennial anniversary of the official groundbreaking ceremony the prior summer.
The official centennial celebration was held June 12, 2025, kicking off a series of subsequent events and collaborations throughout the year with historic partners like the University Activities’ Board and the MSU Dairy Store. With the help of the latter, the MSU Union held a social media campaign to solicit ice cream flavor ideas from followers and fans. A subsequent round of voting led to the final limited-edition flavor.
Ultimately, the Centennial Celebration Finale isn’t just about looking back; it’s about gathering the community, honoring shared memories and looking toward the next chapter of student life at Michigan State.
“It really reflects the mission of the union,” Fitzpatrick says. “So many different people and perspectives came together to make this possible.”
All members of the MSU community are invited to attend and be part of this milestone celebration.
