Last Monday, Student Association President Nicholas Singh announced in an email to the student body that Spring Fest will return for the first time since 2019 on April 30.
“Yes, that’s correct,” Singh wrote in the email. “SPRING FEST IS ON! We are trying not only to do a big outdoor fest but also two smaller shows with different genres.”
But Singh didn’t detail a potential name or genre for a headlining performer, despite the proposed event date being fewer than three months away.
On top of a planned “big outdoor fest,” Singh also mentioned plans for two smaller-scale shows centered around different musical genres, unlike the unknown headlining genre for Spring Fest.
UB hasn’t thrown a spring or a fall fest since COVID-19 forced a shift to remote learning in March 2020, citing health and safety guidelines. Without specifying a reason, Singh hinted that rules and regulations beyond the SA e-board’s control could hinder plans regarding Spring Fest and other planned events by the SA this semester.
“The Entertainment Department is doing its best to ensure that all of the events above along with others occur this semester; however, this is a fluid situation,” Singh wrote. “As long as all of the current regulations remain in place, it would be an eventful semester. If changes in regulation were to occur, this can affect the planning and execution of these items.”
An annual event, UB’s Spring Fest has hosted a variety of musical legends over the past 20 years, including Mac Miller, The Chainsmokers and Wiz Khalifa.
Other returning events mentioned in the email include International Fiesta, which is slated to take place on March 5; Spring Gala, which is scheduled for May 14; and an unspecified guest speaker with a tentative date of March 12. Singh said in the email his team is “actively trying our best to bring a popular guest speaker to campus” on that day.
Singh made no mention of the Comedy Series, which was previously an annual event.
Assuming these events stick to their scheduled dates, it seems that UB may finally return to the normalcy that students have been craving since the start of the pandemic.
Alex Falter is the senior arts editor and can be reached at alex.falter@ubspectrum.com
Alex Falter is a senior arts editor at The Spectrum.
Photo: Ryan Hagen | UB Athletics
