Big Red Welcome, the campuswide celebration kicking off UNL’s fall semester, rolls into the weekend with a preview of the 2015 Huskers football team, class schedule tours, a party at the Nebraska Union and the annual street festival.

The events are part of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s annual Big Red Welcome celebration, which is designed to welcome all new and returning students. The Big Red Welcome events will be offered through Sept. 3.

This is the second year UNL has hosted a multi-week slate of welcome activities. The expanded Big Red Welcome — which previously offered activities over a single week — is designed to give students a better chance to become fully acquainted with what the campus has to offer.

“Many clubs and departments have traditionally hosted welcome events for new and returning students yet it was difficult for new students to find out when each organization’s welcome was being held,” said Pat McBride, associate dean of new student enrollment. “We are providing one-stop website listing all welcome events will make it easier for new and returning students to accelerate their social integration to UNL.”

Weekend activities include:

• Class schedule tours, 10 a.m. to noon, Aug. 22 — Tours start in the Nebraska Union Crib every half hour and will be led by New Student Enrollment orientation leaders. The last tour starts at 11:30 a.m.

• Boneyard Bash, 2 p.m., Aug. 22, Memorial Stadium — Hosted by the Iron N’s Boneyard, the official student section of Nebraska football, the first Boneyard Bash offers all students a preview of the 2015 Huskers football squad. Event includes an open practice by the team, free food, prizes and a short message by new Huskers head football coach Mike Riley.

• Party at the Union, 9:30 p.m., Aug. 22, Nebraska Union — Held in the Nebraska Union and on the plaza to the north, Party at the Union is one of the most widely attended student events of the year. It includes karaoke, caricature artists, Xbox and PS3 games, improve comedy, student group concerts and a DJ on the plaza. The event ends with a pancake feed.

• Street Festival, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Aug. 23, Stadium Loop (immediately east of Memorial Stadium) — More than 10,000 students are expected to attend, enjoying free food and a chance to win prizes, while learning about the wide variety of UNL’s registered student organizations, campus departments and local businesses.

Other Big Red Welcome events include a free (for students) Sept. 3 performance by Cirque Zuma Zuma at the Lied Center for Performing Arts; free planetarium shows at Morrill Hall; workshops on how to succeed as a student; and homecoming activities.

The full schedule of Big Red Welcome events is available at http://bigredwelcome.unl.edu.