The streets of Austin, TX filled with college students dressed in brightly colored fraternity tank tops and neon fanny packs this past weekend for the 85th annual Texas RoundUp, presented by Texas Custom Apparel.
If you managed to make the three-hour journey down to Austin from Dallas, then you surely had a blast. But for students with a project due Monday or a giant test this week, you missed a trip filled with fun activities ranging from paint parties to philanthropy events. The event even got its own Texas flag geofilter for the weekend!
Students from all across Texas and Oklahoma traveled to the University of Texas at Austin’s West Campus, for the weekend, which lasted Friday March 27 through Sunday March 29, and featured events sponsored by campus fraternities and sororities. All events were 18+ and open to students with Texas RoundUp wristbands. Security guards and police officers stationed at every house entrance worked hard to make sure everyone was having fun and staying safe.
Friday night, various campus fraternities hosted parties and events to kickoff the weekend. The brothers of Alpha Epsilon Pi hosted a glow-in-the-dark paint party featuring the artist, Kap Slap. Students could be seen leaving the AEPi house splattered with neon paint after enjoying the concert (thank goodness it was washable!)
Non-UT students were able to buy wristbands from the Texas Interfraternity Council for $10 each, for which the proceeds went to IFC philanthropies and a future philanthropic event benefitting Austin’s local food bank and villages in Haiti. On Saturday, sororities sponsored events benefiting charities like St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital and the Ronald McDonald House. Students also rallied together to support the “Not On My Campus” campaign against sexual assault.
Saturday afternoon, music artists Travis Porter, Tyga and Riff Raff performed at various fraternity houses. At the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity house, both UT and non-UT students gathered to dance and hear Shwayze perform live.
It was a long weekend but if you go to school in Texas, it’s something you have to experience during your four years.
Tips for surviving the weekend:
#1. Stay with a friend
My trip involved visiting two college campuses, St. Edwards University and the University of Texas at Austin. It was so much fun staying in another college’s dorms and getting to see more of the city!
#2. Take breaks
It gets really hot in Austin this time of year, so stop by a friend’s West Campus apartment to take a breather and enjoy some AC before heading to your next event. Or stop by the West Campus food trucks on 26th Street to enjoy a quick bite. (I recommend the dumplings at Korean Komfort!)
#3. Pack light
The only clothes you’ll need for this trip are neon tanks, Nike shorts and a fanny pack (#1 necessity). If you stick to these you’ll fit right in with the crowds of sorority girls walking from house to house.
If you’re thinking about going next year, definitely talk to your friends and plan to get your wristbands early!