Well, folks, day one of THON 2026 is in the books, and day two has begun.

From the dancers entering the human tunnel to Fitz & The Tantrums being this year’s national act, a lot happened on day one. However, since there are two more days left in THON 2026, we completely understand if you decided Friday night as the night to go home and get some sleep.

For those who weren’t at the Bryce Jordan Center in the early hours of Saturday morning, here’s what you missed.

Musical Performances

The night kicked off with a band from State College that blends rock, pop, Americana, and roots, called Honey Pie, around 12:40 a.m. It performed classic songs like “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac, “Do It Again” by Steely Dan, and “Stand By Me” by Ben E. King. The performance lasted for an hour and completely rocked the Bryce Jordan Center.

Just like last year, student DJ Ryan Hazan went on stage at 3:30 a.m. and got the Bryce Jordan Center grooving after the water social time. Hydration and music are the perfect combo to keep you awake during the graveyard hours.

Around 4:40 a.m., FlavorWave, a band from West Chester, Pennsylvania, performed “This Side Of Paradise” to get things going. They also performed “Scar Tissue” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, which brought an immediate gasp from the crowd and got the Bryce Jordan Center booming in a performance that lasted an hour.

Slides Of Strength

The second-ever Slides of Strength event, a time when dancers slide on a black mat doused in baby powder for a quick massage, occurred around 2:30 a.m., which helped dancers loosen the tightness in their calves.

Line Dances, Stretch Breaks, & Water Socials

There were a lot of Line Dances during this period of time, as I counted eight.

When it’s graveyard hours, I don’t blame the Dancer Relations captains for going to the stage as much as they did. If you haven’t heard the lyrics of the Line Dance yet, start familiarizing them.

We had two stretch breaks in the span of an hour at 2 a.m. and two water socials. I have to say that this trio is helping me get my body loose.

Stage Games

Three games were played on stage, from Jeopardy to Hula Hoop x Rock, Paper, Scissors. The first game that was played was Jeopardy, as four organizations participated. The winner was Life as a Highway, which brings back good memories of the Cars movie.

The second was Where’s Waldo, which has become a routine game here at THON. This time, it took us a couple of minutes to find him before we went into our water social time.

The main event, Hula Hoop x Rock, Paper, Scissors, where organizations went head-to-head in rock, paper, scissors, and the objective was to win 10 times to take down the Hula Hoop. Our Onward State staffer Jamie Lynch took part in the festivities as part of Club Swimming’s team.

Lynch got off to a slow start as he lost three of his first four games. However, he started to make a comeback as he won four straight games. Despite his streak ending at four, Lynch’s team won the game, and he did a post-win celebration right after.

Floor Mopping

To cap off the night, the floor mopping crew decided to clean the floor for the first time at THON 2026 at 6 a.m. It was very crucial because the floor was very dirty. While the moppers were grinding to get the floor ready before 7 a.m. struck, THON kept everyone entertained by doing a Hot Ones-style challenge with two contestants and a special interest organization recognition.

After an hour of mopping, the floor was ready to go, and so was the Line Dance. Saturday is now in full swing, and Day two of THON 2026 is ready to rock as the sun rises over the Bryce Jordan Center.