It’s finally here.

The long-awaited 75th anniversary of the Veishea celebration will kick off today with opening ceremonies just south of the Campanile at noon.

The opening ceremonies for Veishea ’97, “Celebrating 75 Years of Leadership,” will begin with a few words from the two general co-chairs of the Veishea committee, Stephanie Carney Michaels, a senior in elementary education, and Daniel Faidley, a senior in agricultural business.

ISU President Martin Jischke will then give a welcome speech. Beverly Crabtree, dean of the College of Family and Consumer Sciences and Veishea’s parade marshall, will speak after Jischke. Veishea scholars will also be recognized.

After a six day trip around Iowa, the torch will be delivered to Ames by one of the many runners who ran the “Veishea Voyage.” The torch started at the Capitol building in Des Moines, and then traveled through several towns in Iowa including, Hampton, Waterloo and Marshalltown.

The torch is carried through hometowns or birthplaces of ISU alumni who have done great things or have shown leadership after their enrollments at ISU.

When they deliver the torch, each runner will tell the crowd how many miles they carried it.

Following the opening ceremonies, a display in the Great Hall of the Memorial Union will be open to observers. The display will show special people and events of the last 75 years in a photographic timeline.

After the opening ceremonies, Welch Avenue will be closed off from Lincoln Way to Hunt Street, Faidley said. Welch will be packed full of food vendors, games and live entertainment.

The Veishea committee has brought back events and people from past Veishea celebrations. Five former Veishea queens will be in the parade and canoe jousting will be played on Lake Laverne on Saturday.

Faidley said, “There’s something for everyone, so they should check the papers to see the schedules.”

Carney Michaels said she wants the students and the faculty to be proud of Veishea and the accomplishments at ISU.