NightFest is the very first party of the year. I never went last year, so I decided to go this time and see what I missed. As I walked towards the amphitheater, I could see the pink rave lights beckoning me to come and join in the festivities. I saw the tents inviting me to come closer to find out what was inside them. But as I got closer, I was a little surprised by the music. I thought I would hear ear-piercing pop, but what I actually heard was soothing folk. Folk seemed like a good choice of music for relaxing and lounging around during the day. Folk did not seem like the ideal choice of music for getting people excited and full of energy for a long night. As I got even closer to the venue, I realized that the crowds at NightFest were actually lines of people waiting for free food. It was a fairly small crowd, but it filled up the Green.
There was a photo booth where people put on boas and plastic hats and smiled in front of a green screen. On the stage, a musical guest played the relaxing folk music. There were doughnuts, ice cream, drinks, and a halal food truck. Everything was free! The only thing you had to spend was your time by waiting in the lines, and people seemed willing to wait an hour to get their food. The SGA had a table where they served chocolate and cookie dough ice cream. I was actually able to try some, since it was the only table whose line was short enough for me to stand in without giving up. Most of the attendees had three things in common: they were patient, they loved free food, and they were mostly firsties. With the exception of the people working the booths, I didn’t spot any upperclassmen at NightFest.
After an hour, I went to see the musical guests up close. At this point, the music had morphed into a soft rock. As I made my way to the seats by the stage, I asked two girls sitting in the second row if they were firsties. They were. I told them that it seemed like everyone here was a first year, and their response inspired this article’s title -“Well, it is the first party of the year”. I couldn’t argue with that. As I sat in the first row of the amphitheater, I wondered what made NightFest NightFest. It may have been the first party of the year, but it wasn’t the biggest. It was a smaller scale party, more relaxed and tamer than some of the other parties Mount Holyoke will host later this year.
I think of NightFest as an introduction. NightFest is not just the first party, it’s the firstie party. It gives first years just a little taste of what is to come. It is calm and controlled as well as fun and entertaining. College parties can get very wild and that might be overwhelming to someone for their first time. NightFest is like a transition to college; it is a party experience for people who haven’t been to one before. Even I had fun rocking my head to the band’s music (which had turned into a combination of smooth jazz and R&B by the end) and eating free cookie dough ice cream. Welcome to MoHo, first years, and I hope you enjoyed NightFest.
Also, shout out to the two groups that played while I was there, Joshua Baum and The New Rockwells. Check them out if you’re interested. They’re local!
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