To see a video on this year’s Fall Fest, click here.
Thousands of students packed the Quad to enjoy free food, listen to music, play games and get pumped up before the Tiger’s first SEC home game of the season.Fall Fest was held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sept. 26 and was the Chancellor’s official welcome to new and returning students, faculty and staff. It was also a welcome of sorts for Chancellor Michael Martin who attended his first fall fest. “It is a tradition that has been happening for fifteen years that we are excited to have every year,” said Nancy Little, marketing strategist for the Office of Public Affairs.The Tiger Band officially kicked off the event and marched into the Quad near the stage set up in front of Dodson Hall. They rallied students by playing the fight song and other gems. The color guard and cheerleaders also performed to a large crowd in front of the stage. There were other stage events including a T-shirt toss from the Golden Girls and a step show put on by the National Panhellenic Council.Department exhibits lined the Quad with faculty and staff members inviting students to play games, learn about colleges and departments on campus and grab free stuff, like chips, cups, pens, pencils, keychains and postcards.One of the main attractions was the free food. Students formed long lines to grab a hamburger or sausage along with a beverage.Volunteers grilled 10,000 hamburgers and 7,000 Polish sausages. Subway, Domino’s, Coca-Cola and PJ’s coffee, among others, also supplied students with food and drinks in the Quad.Volunteers from LSU Dining handed out freezie pops, the LSU Dairy Store volunteers scooped ice cream, the Staff Senate gave out snow cones and Raising Canes employees gave out iced tea and lemonade.Fall Fest has become a University tradition since its inception 15 years ago, Little said. It is the official “kickoff” of the new academic year and is always held before a home football game. “It is a gift to the students,” Little said.Corporations donate funds and items in exchange for their presence. The approximate cost of Fall Fest was $22,000 with the majority of these funds given by Cox Communications, Campus Federal and Dell Computers, according to Little.Volunteers including faculty, staff and students lower the cost of running the show, Little said.Student volunteer, Camille Berken, dairy sciences freshman, enjoyed her first Fall Fest. “The best part is the free food,” Berken said.—-Contact Erica Warren at [email protected]