Over the past seventy-four years, Virginia Tech students and faculty have gathered to celebrate the beloved and lasting tradition of Ring Dance. Established by the Class of 1935, Ring Dance weekend takes place in the spring of a student's junior year.

The two-day celebration opens with a banquet that features elegant dining and entertainment. The ceremonial ring presentation takes place on the second evening and begins with a couple's first steps into Squires Commonwealth Ballroom as they receive ribbons in their class colors, used to tie each other's rings on their wrists for their ring presentation. Traditionally, the women wear the darker ribbon while the men wear the lighter ribbon.

A time-honored ritual performed by the Corps of Cadets marks the ring presentation. Marching into the ballroom, Junior Cadets form the Ring Figure of their graduating class year, followed by the formation of the Sabre Arch. Under this arch, Freshman Cadets escort each Cadet's date. The president of the university ceremoniously announces the formal presentation of the rings. "Moonlight and V.P.I", a song written specifically for the Ring Dance in 1942 by Fred Waring with lyrics by Charles Gaynor, is performed in the background as rings are presented to class members. For most Junior Cadets, this is their first view of the class ring, since they have been picked up and hidden by their Freshmen escorts until the dance. At the conclusion of the song, hundreds of balloons are released on the couples below. A tradition that began as a Corps prank many years ago is the release of a small live pig into the ballroom for a brief period after the ring presentation. The great finale of the evening takes place at midnight with a spectacular show of fireworks over the Drillfield. Finally, "Silver Taps" is played and a report from the Skipper Cannon concludes the event.