Finale Party Frequently Asked Questions

No, only 31 of the one-of-a-kind statues will be present at the Finale Party. These are the statues that are up for auction. However, we will pay tribute to all the statues that night and their artists have been invited to join us!

Browse the Bucky statues that will be present at the Finale Party and up for auction. 21 statues will be up for bid during the live auction at the Finale Party, which will begin at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 29. 10 statues will be available through an online auction which will open at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 25 and close at 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 29.

We suggest wearing your best red to the Finale Party! While formal attire is not the expectation, it is acceptable, as is casual cocktail. Here is a lookbook with some red outfit inspiration for you and your guests!

Heavy hors d’oeuvres will be available throughout the evening for guests to enjoy a strolling dinner. Food will be served at stations and passed by the waitstaff. Later in the evening, additional food will be available to guests, including a special dessert to fuel late-night cravings!

The event is structured as a mix and mingle with limited first-come, first-served seating on the floor of the Kohl Center. Additionally, there will be seating available in sections 107, 108, and 109 throughout the evening and encouraged during the live auction program. There will be some reserved seating for Finale Party event sponsors—you can find more information on Finale Party sponsorship opportunities here.

While the first four months of Bucky on Parade were intended for families and visitors to enjoy, the event is an adults-only fundraiser aiming to raise money for Garding Against Cancer and other community charities. We ask that Finale Party guests be at least 18 years of age. Alcohol will be served as this event, and IDs will be checked.

The live auction will certainly be a spectacle by itself, but you can also expect to be entertained in many other ways! You will be greeted by music from the UW men’s a cappella group, the MadHatters. Bucky Badger and the Spirit Squad will be mingling among guests throughout the evening. And it wouldn’t be a Badger party without the UW Marching Band! Post-auction, you can dance the night away to your favorite songs by the Joe Hite Orchestra!

Yes! 10 statues will be auctioned off online that you’re welcome to bid on, whether or not you’re at the Finale Party. The online auction will open at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 25 and close at 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 29. If you’re interested in a live-auction statue, you may send a proxy bidder in your place. Please contact [email protected] for more information about arranging a proxy bidder/absentee bid.

All Bucky on Parade statues buyers are responsible for picking up the statues from the Bucky on Parade warehouse. If you are looking to have your statue delivered to your place of business or home, we recommend using the official mover of Bucky on Parade—Two Men and a Truck. They have offered competitive rates for our Bucky on Parade statue purchasers. All statues must be picked up by October 31, 2018.

Yes! There will be several silent auction items and packages to bid on. The online auction opens at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 25 and closes at 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 29. You do not need to be present at the Finale Party to bid on or win these items. Stay tuned to this page as items will be added leading up to the event.

Yes! University Book Store, the official merchandiser of Bucky on Parade will have an abundance of items for sale including, but not limited to, t-shirts, posters, magnets, decals, mugs and miniature statues. And we are excited that the official Bucky on Parade coffee table book will be available for sale starting the night of the Finale Party.

Your cell phone number is collected and provided to our auction software company, Gesture. You will receive communication throughout the evening related to live and online auction items, other important event information, and you will be able to pay for items straight from your phone.