Campus Life | Fall Fest

It has been almost a week and a half since Fall Fest, and students still have a lot to say about it. As Pitt slowly starts to hold outdoor events again such as Fall Fest and Homecoming, people are starting to get excited for upcoming events, especially after a full year of only online events.

Pitt Program Council selected American singer, songwriter and record producer Ari Staprans Leff, also known as Lauv, as the event’s headliner. He has a couple popular songs that were released in May 2017 such as “I Like Me Better,” which reached No. 7 on the US Billboard Top 40 and was also used in a popular Netflix movie, “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before.”

The event was supposed to start around 1 p.m. on Schenley Drive on Oct. 10th. However, it ended up starting at around 3 p.m. on that day, from what I remember. Even though Lauv did not come on stage to perform until later that day, the other bands performing kept the audience entertained. Other students, including me, who attended the event started to get very frustrated, especially since that week was midterm week and most people had to study and finish other assignments.

I know I was starting to get a little stressed out because I had a big midterm the next day, but I decided to take a little break from studying to come watch Lauv perform. The weather that day felt like a perfect fall evening with a slight breeze, so I didn’t really mind staying out and enjoying the live music and food.

A friend of mine who attended the event with me messaged Lauv on Instagram as a joke, asking if he was even coming to perform, since she had other things to do as well and was waiting all day for him. According to PPC’s PR director, Lauv’s flight on Southwest Airlines was cancelled, and they had to scramble to find him another one to Pittsburgh.

Three bands opened for the event — Battle of the Bands winner Dionysus, George Clanton from WPTS Radio as well as Elias Khouri, a local guitarist and singer. It was really interesting to listen to new upcoming artists and small bands, since I am so used to listening to bigger creators.

There were also many food trucks and activities that kept people busy, such as face painting, airbrush tattoo artists, Disney princesses for little kids to take pictures with and more. As for food, there was an Indian grill truck, an ice cream truck, a meatball truck, a crepes truck, a donut and hot dog truck, a taco truck — my personal favorite — and a barbecue truck. During the wait for Lauv’s performance, it was very hard to get bored with the big selection of food and activities. Students and other people, including me, simply coming to watch and have a good time, really enjoyed the event — even after the delay. 

Pitt Program Council hosted Bigelow Bash last year with Jason Derulo and Rico Nasty performing, which was a big hit even though it had to be held virtually. PPC held this event to celebrate the end of the school year, like they do every year, and it was extra special due to how tough things were because of COVID-19 and online classes. I remember my friends and I joining the live event for a bit to check it out, and we ended up having a lot of fun. After that event, I think students have kept their eyes out for more events like such and hoping for an in-person one soon. 

People, including me, that attended the event enjoyed the show and Lauv’s performance, even though the delay put a bit of a strain on some students. Since this show was such a hit and after seeing the turnout for it, my friends and I are looking forward to more in-person occasions hosted by the Pitt Program Council.