Springfest is an Allegheny tradition that provides a fun weekend for students where they can destress, get free food and entertainment and enjoy the campus community according to Jocelyne Serafin, ’17, the Gator Activities Programming vice president of annual events and a member of the Major Events Committee.

“Springfest serves as a designated weekend for the Allegheny community to come together in a fun environment and also get a break from studying. It also has become a great time to show your Gator spirit and pride,” said Serafin.

Harper Zimmer, ’18, said she is excited for Springfest this year and is ready to see what is planned for the students. She said she had fun last year but is hoping to see Springfest 2016 outdo past years.

“I’m excited to get away from my studies for a weekend and see what activities there will be on campus to be a part of,” said Zimmer. “I’m looking forward to being able to hangout with my friends and enjoy the Springfest atmosphere.”

This year’s theme is outer space and according to Serafin, there will be several events that will add to the entertainment and excitement of the event.

“We plan on having a green screen photo booth, a candy bar, face paint, laser tag and of course free glow in the dark t-shirts,” said Serafin.

Serafin said all of the work that goes into setting up and planning a largely anticipated event like Springfest, where the goal is to make the college community come together and allow them to have a fun weekend.

“I don’t think people realize that planning any sort of big event requires a lot of time and commitment especially when you have to work with others,” said Serafin.  “We have been planning Springfest since about two months ago and it has been a rollercoaster from planning the theme to figuring out what type of entertainment to bring on campus.”

Serafin also said that it is not easy to plan an event that has to accommodate the entire campus. They have run into several issues but this year the big concern is the weather.

“It is also hard to plan Springfest because in an ideal world we would like Springfest to be outside with the sun shining but because we never know how the weather is going to be, it is hard to know what we want to do for the event,” said Serafin. “We always have to think about whether what we want outside is going to fit inside or if it is going to look good.”

Most students on campus anticipate the off-campus parties that take place during the weekend of Springfest. Many of the parties differ from the ones that happen throughout the year because a wider selection of the student body attends.

Kyle Emerson, ’17, has not been able to experience a full-scale Springfest during his first two years at Allegheny because of his baseball schedule.

“I haven’t been much of a part of Springfest, but I was always jealous about all of the outside partying going on all day long with a ton of people,” said Emerson. “It kind of resembles a larger university atmosphere and party style so it’s a cool change for the Allegheny students that allows us to have some fun.”

Donte Wallette, ’18, says that he is excited to see the community, students and some alumni come back to celebrate the occasion.

“I’m looking forward to the Allegheny College community coming together to enjoy a great environment and just have fun,” Wallette said. “No matter what the weather is like, you can always count on the students and some alumni to come back and enjoy the community and have a blast.”