Record number of students attend North of the Arch

More than 400 University of Georgia students, ranging from newly admitted to graduate students, visited 26 local businesses in the downtown Athens district on Monday, Aug. 16, as part of North of the Arch 2021.

The event—sponsored by the UGA Office of Government Relations, UGA Student Affairs and the Athens Downtown Development Authority (ADDA)—traditionally welcomes first-year students, hallmates and friends, but shifted this year to welcome all students back to Athens. Participating locations included restaurants, boutiques, churches, gyms and more.

“North of the Arch is an incredibly impactful event for our downtown Athens businesses,” said Linda Ford, director of business services at ADDA. “Many students are introduced to some of their favorite restaurants, shops or entertainment venues through this event, and we are happy to co-sponsor the event each year.”

Students participating in North of the Arch who visited at least 10 of the 26 participating businesses and took photos at each location were entered to win over 20 raffle prizes, including a signed Kirby Smart football, free exercise classes, gift certificates to downtown businesses, UGA parking and dining coupons, T-shirts and other prizes. Participants could earn additional raffle entries for visiting all 26 locations and posting to social media using the event hashtag.

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