From the breathtaking sunny landscapes across Grounds to the revelry at countless day parties, spring at the University is one of the most memorable times of the year. To commemorate this occasion, University Programs Council, or UPC, throws its annual music, food and arts festival called Springfest. While UPC certainly is correct in its overall objective of the festival, the scale and magnitude should be significantly expanded to not only reward students with a comprehensive weekend of springtime entertainment but also showcase more of the incredible talents of its students.
According to UPC’s Facebook page, Springfest will consist of two main events this year. First, a Springfest event will occur on April 28 where four finalists present “creative projects that explore and promote the intersection of art” with students voting at the end to give one of them a community engagement grant. Second, the main Springfest event takes place on April 29 which promises “free food from a variety of local vendors, performances by student bands, lawn games, crafts and more.” The program, which runs from 5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. also boasts a St. Lucia concert and a Lawn art gallery. While I congratulate UPC on throwing a terrific Springfest, students and the local Charlottesville community could reap the benefits of a festival that cements its designation as the go-to spring music, food and arts destination.
My vision for an enhanced Springfest would first feature an expanded timeframe by making the festival an entire weekend experience. With events all day on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, more visitors would be able to participate in activities that appeal to them. Offering a wider array of day activities over a weekend would entice families and children to participate in the festivities while nighttime events could be tailored more toward student’s entertainment desires like music concerts.
That’s why the most significant revision would be in the music portion, where it is critical that a festival have venues and artists that attendees truly want to see. The student band performances are one of the coolest aspects of Springfest, as students have the opportunity showcase their musical aptitudes in front of an encouraging crowd. Therefore, Springfest should have a musical lineup every night at a stage on Grounds whether that be in front of the Rotunda or, dare-I-even-propose-it, in Mad Bowl. The University can certainly learn some lessons from other colleges. For instance, Vanderbilt University has a Rites of Spring Festival where students purchase tickets and the revenue is used to bring incredible artists for a two-night music concert. Over the past three years, the concert has featured Future, Chance the Rapper, Young the Giant, 2 Chainz, Portugal. The Man, Twenty One Pilots and Steve Aoki. Why shouldn’t we have some of these artists too? Charging a discounted rate for students and a higher price for the general public would help pay for a great lineup each spring and fund some of the proposed festival expansions. However, keeping in line with the student-oriented focus of Springfest, student bands and local artists should also be heavily mixed in to diversify the experience.
Potential concerns about underage drinking at a University-sponsored event such as this are certainly worth considering. Vanderbilt, for example, has the entire event guarded by university police and uses special wristbands at the entrance gate. The University could employ a similar system to ensure a safe and fun environment for a music venue.
A comprehensive spring music, food and arts festival should be a staple of the University every year. With the expanded scale of the festival, the local community would benefit as families would have a weekend full of entertainment choices, while food vendors and restaurants on the Corner could cater to more customers and local artists could have a new platform to showcase their talents. Yet, the biggest benefactor of an expanded spring festival would be the students. With so many bands, artists and dance troupes at the University, an entire weekend would allow more opportunities for these student groups to perform. A significantly increased music portion, with headliners chosen by students, would skyrocket interest in the event and provide students and the local Charlottesville area with a worthwhile entertainment venue. The springtime is here; it’s time we truly take advantage of it.
Ben Yahnian is an Opinion columnist for The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at b.yahnian@cavalierdaily.com.
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