By Sye Thomas Hickey

	While some get dressed up to the nines for the Kentucky Derby, others wear overalls or wear no shirt at all. David Turnley/Getty Images

Best spring tradition: Kentucky Derby. Making the journey to Louisville's Churchill Downs on the first Saturday in May is a once-in-a-lifetime event. The party in the infield with more than 120,000 people is absolutely crazy, and if you're lucky enough to score a grandstand ticket or box seat, you'll have a great view of the races. Derby Day is a celebration of some of the state's great traditions: horse racing, mint juleps (made from Kentucky Bourbon) and the traditional singing of My Old Kentucky Home.

Best place to play cornhole: Tailgating in the SEC is a sport in itself and Kentucky is no exception. Fans show up outside Commonwealth Stadium as early as Wednesday before the football game. On early Saturday morning, it's easy to stroll down Cooper Drive and see all the tailgaters and fans. Perhaps the best part of tailgating is cornhole, an overwhelmingly popular sport at UK that involves tossing bean bags through a hole in a board  set up 20 feet away. Wildcat fans won't hesitate to invite strangers to a friendly game of cornhole -- if the strangers are wearing blue, that is.

Best campus bar: Weekends start on Thursday and there's no better way to kick one off than a trip to the "world famous" Two Keys Tavern, which is ncredibly popular on Tuesdays and Thursdays (thanks to $8 all-you-can-drink specials). Students from campus flock to the newly-renovated tavern that features live music, flat-screen TVs, a spacious patio, as well as three fully stocked bars so you won't have to wait in line if you're thirsty.

Best downtown bar: It depends on your taste. If you like a laid-back, relaxed environment with lots of tables, plenty of beers on tap and TVs to keep you updated on your sports, Rosebud Bar is for you. If you want an Irish pub, go to McCarthy's. If you prefer live country music mixed with a little light rock, try Redmons. Last time I was at Redmons, I spotted Travis Ford, a former all-SEC basketball player and current coach at the University of Massachusetts.

Best place to procrastinate: The William T. Young Library. With a price tag of $58 million, this five-story giant accommodates over 1.2 million volumes and ranks first among public universities in the size of its book endowment. It also houses Ovid's Café, a Starbucks; and a wireless network that covers the entire library. "Willy T." is a great place to pull an all-nighter before an exam. And for guys who can't seem to focus on books, typically lots of attractive sorority girls can be found studying or socializing on the third and fifth floors.

Best place to eat after 2 a.m.: Everyone at UK knows about Tolly-Ho, a 24/7 restaurant located right off North Campus. A popular place to grab a drunkburger after the bars close, it serves milkshakes that will blow your mind. A popular tradition at "the Ho" is letting the people behind the counter know it's your first time there. Then when your food comes up, they call your name and make a big deal, telling everyone you're a "Tolly-Ho virgin" and ringing the virgin bell.

Best pizza: If you're on campus, head to Pazzo's Pub, next to Tolly-Ho. The slices are big and delicious and Pazzo's also has over thirty beers on tap. Try Pint Night (Wednesdays). The waitresses are pretty cool, too. If you're in the downtown area, go for Good Fellas. The pizza will cost you a pretty penny and a bit of a wait, but it's well worth it.

Best place to watch Greeks go head-to-head: Greek Sing. A lip-sync-ing and dance contest hosted by the Chi Omega sorority, it  costs admission to get in, but Chi-O donates the all profits (almost $20,000) to the Make-A-Wish foundation. Each Greek organization gets an opportunity to put on a dance act to a song or mix. Brace yourself for an intense night of hilarity and competition. The ladies of Pi Beta Phi and Kappa Alpha Theta always put on a good show, as do the guys of Phi Delta Theta.

Best first-date place: Downtown Lexington at night is a great place. Catch a movie at the Kentucky Theatre or dip your feet in the fountains across from the Lexington Center. If your date is looking for something scenic, take her for a walk in Thoroughbred Park or the courtyards in front of the courthouse. Grab a burger at Sawyer's or sit down for a steak at deSha's if you have the money.

Best place to fight off the freshman-15: Try the 12,000 square-foot Johnson Center, which features four full-sized basketball courts, four racquetball courts, two full-sized weight rooms, a four-lane track, and a gigantic rock-climbing wall. The four-year old, state-of-the-art recreation facility also houses classes in fitness, weight training and conditioning, and gives students the option of scheduling a meeting with a personal fitness trainer. Take that, Natty Light.

Best party dorm: The Kirwan-Blanding complex on South Campus is definitely the party spot for freshmen. The complex is home to 5,000 students, mainly freshmen, and features two 23-story towers. The best part is they're coed. During the fall fraternity rush week, meeting people in front of the towers is easier than ever.

Best place to get game-day gear: UK's official bookstore is lon the ground level of the student center on North Campus. Kennedy's, another solid option with a good selection, is a block away on Limestone. Wildcat, the third major bookstore, is across from the Business and Economics building on Limestone. The selection isn't as good, but the prices are better. Or you could always wait to get to the Lexington Center -- in the same building as Rupp Arena -- to grab a shirt and some face paint.

Top three unknown sports teams:

1.) Men's baseball: In the spring of 2006, the team set a school record with 44 wins and brought hardball fans Kentucky's first SEC baseball championship. John Cohen was named National Coach of the Year.

2.) Men's golf: That same spring, the team overachieved en route to a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Championships, the best showing in UK history.

3.) Women's basketball: In YEAR TK, the Wildcats beat No. 1 Tennessee in front of a record crowd at Rupp and won 22 games for the first time in over a decade. They were coached by SEC Coach of the Year Mickie DeMoss.

Program on the rise: The football team. Coming off an eight-win season that included a signature upset of defending SEC champion Georgia and a Music City Bowl victory over traditional ACC power Clemson, UK's team is braced for another solid run next season. Riding the momentum of their first bowl victory in 22 years, head coach Rich Brooks looks to guide the Wildcats to the top of the SEC in 2007.