To celebrate its 40th anniversary, UC Irvine will be plugging in the amplifiers for an outdoor concert featuring the renowned blues-rock group The Fabulous Thunderbirds.

Open and free to the general public, the festivities will begin at 5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29, in Aldrich Park with student entertainment and a food fair. University and city officials will make comments at 6 p.m., with The Fabulous Thunderbirds performing at 6:30 p.m.

“We hope all our friends will join us for terrific music and a lot of fun,” said Sheila Hayden, chair of the concert committee and assistant director of scheduling and conference services at UCI. “We just encourage everyone to bring three things: a nice blanket, comfortable beach chairs and, in case the urge hits you, good dancing shoes.”

The event is sponsored by UCI and the city of Irvine, with additional support from the University Club, Diedrich Coffee and The Paul Merage School of Business. Admission and parking (after 4 p.m.) are free; for more information call (949) 824-5252. For directions, visit www.uci.edu/campusmap.

The concert continues a series of events marking the campus’s 40th anniversary – a celebration that officially launched during last spring’s commencement ceremonies. Marking “40 Years of Innovation,” the following scheduled events also are open to the public. Details and updates for these events are at the UCI 40th Anniversary Web site, which can be found by visiting www.today.uci.edu/resources/40/40_events.asp. 

• Oct. 12 – “Recollections of a Dean of Humanities” at the University Club Forum. Samuel McCulloch, professor emeritus, will share his memories and thoughts of UCI’s earliest days, when he served as founding dean of the School of Humanities (1963-70). Noon, University Club.

• Oct. 15 – UCI Medal Ceremony and Dinner. Three individuals and one couple will receive UCI’s top honor, the UCI Medal, in recognition of their exceptional support for the university’s mission of teaching, research and public service. This year’s medal ceremony will be especially noteworthy as the university marks its anniversary. 5:30 p.m., Anteater Recreation Center Sports Field.

• Oct. 25 –  UCI Arts Plaza Dedication. Designed by artist Maya Lin, the Arts Plaza will be a showcase for the visual and performing arts. At once an outdoor gallery, performance space, learning area and park, the plaza will open the colorful world of the arts to visitors of all ages. 4 p.m., Arts Plaza.

• Nov. 3 – “Designing UCI: Celebrating 40 Years of Innovation” Symposium and Exhibit Opening. This special program will include remarks by Ray Watson, former president of The Irvine Company on building a university-centered city in Irvine; remarks by James McGaugh, founding director of the Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory and former executive vice chancellor, on designing academic excellence; a presentation by campus architect Rebekah Gladson; and observations by Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Michael Gottfredson. 4 p.m., Barclay Theatre and Langson Library.

• Nov. 16 – “Forty Years of Enormous Change and Impressive Consistency” at the University Club Forum. William Parker, who joined the UCI faculty in 1967 and has been a key administrator since 1976, will discuss his experiences with UCI’s academic, administrative and physical development over the years. Noon, University Club.

Celebrating 40 years of innovation, the University of California, Irvine combines the strengths of a major research university with the bounty of an incomparable Southern California location. Since its opening in fall 1965, UCI has become internationally recognized for efforts that are improving lives through research and discovery, fostering excellence in scholarship and teaching, and engaging and enriching the community. Today, with more than 24,000 students, 1,400 faculty members and 8,100 staff, UCI is among the fastest-growing campuses in the University of California system. UCI ranks among the top U.S. universities in the number of undergraduate applications and, for fall 2004, the campus admitted the most academically competitive freshman class in its history. Orange County’s second-largest employer, UCI generates an annual economic impact on the county of $3 billion.

About The Fabulous Thunderbirds: For three decades, The Fabulous Thunderbirds has been the quintessential American band. Cofounded by guitarist Jimmy Vaughn (brother of the late Stevie Ray Vaughn) and harmonica-playing singer Kim Wilson, the group’s roots trace back to Austin, Texas, where according to Rolling Stone Magazine, in the mid ’70s the band “became the blueprint for all blues based bands that would come after them.” The group’s distinctive and powerful sound, influenced by a diversity of musical styles, manifested itself into a unique musical hybrid via such barnburners as “Tuff Enuff” and “Wrap It Up.” Wilson, the sole original member, still spearheads the group.