Justin Marinelli
Writer
Fall Fest tends to be a decent, if not terribly exciting event. This year, the event was given a creative twist with a country theme, complete with live country music performances, which were a lovely break from the usual hip-hop acts.
I am in favor of giving Fall Fest a theme every year. It seemed that half the fun this year was dressing up in country-style clothing (or whatever you could pass off as “country”). Luckily, my cluelessness as to what dressing country actually means seems to be shared by everyone else on campus, so I was able to get away with just wrapping a bandanna around my normal clothing.
Not everyone was slacking in their outfit like I did. Many people showed up in cowboy boots and hats, flannel was everywhere and certain people had American flag shirts. It was the most in depth I’ve ever seen people get into the idea of Fall Fest, as people mostly showed up just for free food in previous years.
Having a theme allowed certain activities that wouldn’t have made sense otherwise, like taking a “Wild West” themed picture or having some hay bales to sit on during the concert. Could there have been really fun things to do that didn’t require a theme? Of course. But having a theme made the events there more fun.
Besides, think of the possibilities for Fall Fests in the future. One of the more popular events this year was the “Fabulous ’50s Night.” Imagine a Fall Fest with a ’50s theme, in which Frank Sinatra music plays while we mingle around in period get-up.
In theory, you could make the argument that if you pick a theme people don’t like, no one would show up. I would be willing to bet that not too many people on this campus actually like country, and yet Fall Fest this year was still a success. If an incredibly popular theme was chosen, I would predict a fantastic turnout.
Giving Fall Fest a theme takes the event out of the realm of “just another thing” to an actual, exciting event. It increases the possibilities to do interesting things with it, and would probably increase turnout. At the very least, it would make it more fun.