The University of Central Arkansas will hold its annual Veterans Day celebration on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024, with an information fair at 12 p.m. and a formal ceremony at 1:40 p.m.
The theme of this year’s event is “Breaking Barriers and Building Futures” and will commemorate the service of veterans from all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces and feature notable speakers, free food, live music and a veterans information fair.
The information fair will take place from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. in front of the Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts and will showcase local businesses and organizations that provide support and opportunities for veterans. More than two dozen exhibitors focused on veterans are slated to be at this year’s event. The information fair will be held indoors at the Windgate Atrium in the event of rain.
A vendor of note is the Little Rock Mobile Vet Center, a super-sized 38-foot mobile support center that connects veterans and their families to resources and support systems.
The ceremony will start at 1:40 p.m. in the Windgate Concert Hall. The UCA Concert Choir and UCA Student Brass Quintet will provide music for this ceremony.
Brig. Gen. Leland “Tony“ Shepherd will deliver the keynote address for the ceremony. Shepherd is the Land Component Commander in charge of the Arkansas Army National Guard. During his distinguished military career, he has deployed twice to Iraq. Shepherd is a recipient of the Combat Action Badge, Legion of Merit, and Bronze Star, as well as numerous other awards and decorations.
The ceremony also includes the presentation of the Tidwell Veterans Scholarship and the UCA Veterans Day Scholarship. Both scholarships will be awarded to full-time UCA students who are veterans or current service members.
