Campus Connection

Maroon Tunes blends music, memories and a one-of-a-kind treat

When Kendall Bowman describes the feeling of alumni, students, employees and community members gathering to celebrate UW-La Crosse, one word comes to mind: nostalgia. 

"It's that warm, fuzzy feeling," Bowman says with a laugh. 

In a lot of respects, it's like eating ice cream — only not so cold. 

That's exactly the sense of connection the UW-La Crosse Alumni & Friends Foundation hopes to inspire at this year's Maroon Tunes celebration on Thursday, Sept. 10, at Riverside Park in La Crosse. 

From 5:30 to 8 p.m., the city’s Moon Tunes summer concert series takes on a UWL twist, featuring music from the Screaming Eagles Marching Band, booths with UWL swag, displays of Eagle pride, and an exclusive UWL-themed ice cream flavor created just for the event. 

"I hope it helps people feel connected and gives them a sense of belonging in the UWL community," says Bowman, '21, strategic event coordinator for the Alumni & Friends Foundation. 

This year's featured flavor, Stryker Snack Break, is inspired by snacks while hiking through the bluffs, quick treats between classes, and the simple homemade flavors that embody life in La Crosse and on the UWL campus. The flavor features vanilla ice cream with swirls of honey, homemade chewy oatmeal cookie crumble and crushed chocolate-covered pretzels. It will be available only during Maroon Tunes and afterward at The Pearl Ice Cream Parlor, while supplies last. 

The flavor is the result of a partnership between the Alumni & Friends Foundation and The Pearl Ice Cream Parlor, the downtown La Crosse favorite owned by UWL alumni sisters Dani Peterslie, ’11, and Azia Thelemann, ’16. 

“We both attended UW-La Crosse for our undergraduate degrees, so we know firsthand the value that the university brings to the greater La Crosse community,” says Thelemann. "Being involved in a project that highlights both UWL and our small business is an honor. It’s especially meaningful to be able to collaborate with a university that played such an important role in our own lives while also creating something that brings the campus and greater La Crosse community together.” 

For Bowman, the collaboration was a natural fit. 

"Getting ice cream with friends and family is a sweet, shared experience," she says. 

She still remembers walking to The Pearl during Welcome Week as a first-year student with others from her residence hall. Their resident assistant treated everyone to a scoop, creating one of her earliest UWL memories. 

She later learned her experience wasn't unique. 

"For so many students, going to The Pearl is part of starting college," Bowman says. "People have those kinds of stories with ice cream. It really does bring people together, and we hope that's the case with this event too." 

This year, alumni and friends helped shape the tradition by voting on one of three original UWL-inspired flavors. The Pearl's owners created the recipes while the Alumni & Friends Foundation developed names tied to familiar campus experiences. 

"We let The Pearl run wild," Bowman says. "They're alumni, and they're the ice cream experts." 

The winning flavor, Stryker Snack Break, edged out Murphy's Mug, inspired by UWL's beloved Murphy Library coffee shop, and Clock Tower Crunch, a nod to UWL's iconic Hoeschler Tower. 

Katie Maliszewski, ’24, communications coordinator for the Alumni & Friends Foundation, says the flavors were designed to spark memories of campus life. 

"They represent experiences people connect with —  hiking the bluffs, grabbing coffee at Murphy's Mug, or gathering around the clock tower," Maliszewski says. "Inviting people to vote gave them a chance to be part of creating the tradition." 

While Maroon Tunes certainly welcomes alumni back to campus, Maliszewski says the event is equally about celebrating the broader community that supports UWL. 

"UWL's impact extends far beyond the people who earned a degree here," she says. "It includes business owners who partner with the university, families who participate in campus programs, children at the Campus Child Center and community members who enjoy university events. We all have a connection to UWL." 

For Bowman, traditions like Maroon Tunes help create those connections. 

"They give people something to look forward to and something to share," she says. "You may not know many people there, but that doesn't matter. There's a spirit and a happiness you can feel. When you share a tradition, you can connect with anyone who's celebrating it." 

And if that tradition includes live music, a riverside sunset and a scoop of one-of-a-kind ice cream, all the better. 

"I hope people leave feeling connected," Maliszewski says, "Whether they went here, are going here now or are simply community members who are proud to have higher education in their hometown." 

About Maroon Tunes 

Maroon Tunes will be held from 5:30-8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10, at Riverside Park as part of the city's Moon Tunes concert series. 

The UWL Alumni & Friends Foundation will be joined by staff members from Admissions and Graduate & Extended Learning, with booths, giveaways and UWL swag. Food and beverage trucks will also be on site. 

The evening will feature a performance by the UWL Screaming Eagles Marching Band and High Mileage, along with activities highlighting the university's connection to the La Crosse community. Attendees are encouraged to wear maroon and UWL apparel 

Several campus groups will travel to the event together. Drift Cycle plans to lead a community bike ride from the Student Union to Riverside Park (departure time to be announced), while UWL Sustainability Program Manager Andrew Ericson is partnering with Residence Life to help students ride La Crosse's Metro Transit buses to the event, introducing them to the city's public transportation system.