Past Events

Ugly Produce Market

Arbor Day

Join The Arboretum, State Botanical Garden of Kentucky for our 35th Arbor Day celebration!"Come join us for a fun and educational day for the entire family, including free admission to the Kentucky Children’s Garden. All day, we will have tree and nature-themed crafts and activities in the Kentucky Children’s Garden. 

R.C. May Photography Lecture Series: Clarissa Tossin

Clarissa Tossin will discuss the role of photography in her artistic practice, from her student work at the Fundação Armando Álvares Penteado to her recent solo exhibition at the Museu de Arte São Paulo (MASP), São Paulo. Tossin’s study of the layered residues of colonialism, resource extraction, and consumer accumulation has been supported by fellowships from the American Academy in Rome, Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts, and Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study.

2026 Sustainability Showcase and Research Poster Competition

This year’s Showcase will be hosted in the Healthy Kentucky Research Building on Wednesday, October 14th from 5:30-7:30pm. The event is free, open to the public, and refreshments will be provided.   The Showcase is a celebration of the incredible sustainability work happening across campus - from research and student initiatives to operations and community engagement. Join us to connect with passionate students, faculty, and staff who are shaping a more sustainable future at UK. Highlights include:

UK TreeFest

UK TreeFest is a special event taking place on Wednesday, October 14th, from 12–3 p.m. in the green space by Kirwan Blanding and Ingels Hall. The event is co-hosted by UK Sustainability, UK Canopy Cats, Urban Forest Initiative, UK Campus Recreation, and UK Grounds, and funded by the Student Sustainability Council.  The event will consist of three components: 

2026 Regional Cross-Laminated Timber (RCLT) Conference

The Regional Mass Timber Conference in Lexington, KY, from October 12-14, 2026, gathers forestry, design, engineering, and economic development professionals to focus on Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) market development. The event includes meetings, tours, presentations, and discussions involving about 300 participants.

Bee Banquets in the Sky: Trees and Shrubs for Urban Pollinator Conversation

Tree Week is right around the corner, and UFI is kicking it off with the fall seminar series! Start your Tree Week on October 8 with Dr. Dan Potter, UK’s Professor Emeritus of Horticultural Entomology, who will address pollinator conservation in his presentation “Bee Banquets in the Sky.” The presentation is at 7:00 pm in UK’s Davis Marksbury Building, 329 Rose Street, and tabling and light refreshments will begin at 6:00 pm. 

Tonics & Toxins: Plants and Power in Latin America

The 2026 symposium of the Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies Program at the University of Kentucky examines the relationship between plants, people, and power in Latin America.

Ugly Produce Market

Visit the first official Ugly Produce Market pop-up event and grab some free produce, recipe cards, tote bags, stickers, and more.

Readiness Reimagined: the Arts Disaster & Crisis Preparedness Conference

Times of great disruption demand new ways of thinking about preparedness, resilience, and recovery. The Arts Disaster & Crisis Preparedness Conference brings together arts leaders, emergency managers, educators, cultural workers, researchers, and community practitioners to explore how the arts can help communities prepare for, respond to, and recover from crises and disasters.