UW-Stout’s Year of Design continues with Destination Weekend

   
UW-Stout’s Year of Design continues with Destination Weekend, celebrating students at entrepreneur, athletic, fine arts events

Featured events include STEM-X, Made@Stout Pop-Up Market, Fashion Without Fabric on April 11

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 19, 2026

Menomonie, Wis. – University of Wisconsin-Stout invites families, alumni and the community to campus Friday, April 10, to Sunday, April 12, for [/destination-weekend]Destination Weekend, a celebration of fashion, fine arts, athletics and more.

Some events are ticketed, but most do not require advance registration.

Fashion Without Fabric

The encore event of the weekend is Fashion Without Fabric, the annual showstopper, where students bring their wearable sculptures to life on the runway. This year’s theme is “Years in the Making,” as teams of students take on modern fashion designs. The show is at 7 p.m. on April 11, in the Memorial Student Center Great Hall. Seating will also be available in an overflow and low-stimuli rooms. 

Tickets will be available on Wednesday, March 25, at uwstout.universitytickets.com. Seating is first-come, first-served. In collaboration with industry partners and alumni, the School of Art and Design will award up to three $1,000 scholarships to the winners of the highly competitive show. Donate to support the scholarship.

STEM Exploration events

On April 11, community members are invited to STEM Exploration events, with hands-on lab experiences and tours. Leading the STEM-X events to celebrate the Blue Devils hockey team’s dance at the national tournament, attendees can build and personalize an off-ice hockey puck. They can also create a concrete coaster and join the Construction Lab tour. 

Made@Stout Pop-Up Market

Made@Stout will host a Pop-Up Market from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. on April 11, in the Memorial Student Center. Made@Stout creates opportunities for Blue Devil creators, makers and entrepreneurs to share and sell their products, artwork and goods. Rooted in community pride and UW-Stout’s applied, polytechnic spirit, the initiative builds pathways for students, faculty and staff to bring their ideas to market.

University Theatre

Students will perform “Something Rotten,” led by Director Audric Buhr, at Harvey Hall Theatre. Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. on April 10, 11, 16, 17 and 18; and 2 p.m. on April 12.

Set in the 1590s, brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom are desperate to write a hit play but are stuck in the shadow of that Renaissance rock star known as “The Bard.” When a local soothsayer foretells that the future of theater involves singing, dancing, and acting at the same time, Nick and Nigel set out to write the world’s very first musical. But amidst the scandalous excitement of opening night, the Bottom Brothers realize that reaching the top means being true to thine own self, and all that jazz.

“Something Rotten” has received several Best Musical nominations and was hailed by Time Out New York as “the funniest musical comedy in at least 400 years.”

Tickets are available at uwstout.universitytickets.com.

Fine Arts Events

• “Support Structures” and “Simon Ungless: A Life in Print in the South Gallery” exhibits reception: April 10, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. (Furlong Gallery. A Meet the Artist event for Simon Ungless will be on Monday, April 13.)
• Mabel: Drawings Inspired by the Mabel Tainter Theater opening reception: April 10, 5:30 p.m. (Mabel Tainter Center for the Art, downtown Menomonie)
• ​Gallery 209​, in the Applied Arts building, second floor, will host an Advanced Printmaking exhibition.

Athletics Events

• Lacrosse vs. UW-River Falls: April 10, 7 p.m. (Nelson Field)
• Tennis vs. Central College: April 11, 2 p.m. (South Tennis Courts)
• Baseball vs. UW-La Crosse: April 12, noon (Wakanda Park)
• Softball vs. UW-Platteville (Senior Day): April 12, noon (Alumni Field)

Spring Showcase signature events in May and June

• Saturday, May 2, 4 p.m.: WEAR Fashion Show, showcasing innovative capstone collections from fashion design and development seniors.
• Tuesday, May 5: Research Day, celebrating the research and creative work of students, faculty, and staff from all fields.
• Thursday, May 7, 6 p.m.: Stout Game Expo (SGX), western Wisconsin’s largest game developer exhibition.
• Friday, May 8, 6 p.m.: SOAD Senior Show, graduating seniors take over Micheels Hall and the Applied Arts building.
• Saturday, May 9, and Sunday, May 10: 4th Annual Unspooled Film & Animation Festival, dedicated to showcasing the very best in independent filmmaking.
• Wednesday, June 24, to Sunday, June 28: Murals in Menomonie, featuring the Walldogs, is a collaborative group of community organizations bringing in some of the world’s best mural artists.

UW-Stout, a member of the Universities of Wisconsin, is Wisconsin’s Polytechnic University, with a focus on applied learning, collaboration with business and industry, and career outcomes. Learn more via the FOCUS2030 strategic plan.