It has been two years since the Student Programming Association has put on a winter concert. What has filled this void? Nothing other than Winterfest.
Winterfest is the fall semester’s equivalent of the annual Crawfish Day every spring. This year, Winterfest will be held today from 1:30 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. on the parking lot behind the Family and Consumer Science building.
The SPA decided to start having Winterfest last year after a vast amount of attempts to bring top quality bands and performances to the Nicholls student body. Surveys were conducted and the SPA made sure that the performers they brought in were what the students wanted to hear. “However, few students showed up for these free concerts,” Trent Leonard, Vice President of SPA and a member of the entertainment committee for several years, said. Crawfish day had always been a big hit and the idea to make another version of it instead of having a large-scale concert was born. “The price it took to get major artists to come perform was huge. Then the turnout was horrible. We decided instead to create a fun-filled day where everyone could come out, relax and enjoy themselves.” Leonard said.
Last year was the first Winterfest. There was live music, free food and plenty of activities for the students and faculty alike. The SPA said this year’s Winterfest will be even better with more activities, local bands and new additions to what seems to be an up and coming tradition in the world of Nicholls State activities.
This year, the live acts include such local groups as Bag of Donuts, Birdfinger and B & Reality. Also there will be a live disc jockey for when the bands are not performing. Leonard said, “Another spectacular feature is the guest appearance of Ace.” Ace is a member of the Kappa Alpha Fraternity, but is known for his appearance on the Real World Paris. He will be there for the whole time walking around and hanging out with the student population. There is also the possibility that he will be at a table giving a speech for about an hour.
For those people who are more interested in what there is to do than who will be playing music and making appearances, there is going to be laser tag by Interactive Events, set up along with three action packed festival rides, one of which will be a Merry-Go-Round. The other two rides were unknown at press time
“Giving something for the students to do is what SPA is all about. That is why we will also be bringing over a bungee pull, a sumo wrestling set and, for the more active, a rat race obstacle course,” Lea Bonvillain, general studies major from Thibodaux and entertainment committee chair, said.
Plus, there will be plenty of free food. The menu contains jambalaya, hamburgers, cracklin’, hot kettle corn and cotton candy. Beer will be sold to those of age with proper identification for $1.
The excitement is open to all undergraduate students carrying seven or more hours, all graduate students carrying six or more hours and all faculty. However, you must have your current Colonel Card.
The SPA wants to personally invite all students who are available to come out and have a good time. Bonvillain said, “This event is for the students to have fun and relax before finals.”