If you are a student at Ohio University, then there’s a good chance you’re familiar with fest season. Fest season is practically a national holiday here in Athens where certain streets are chosen to host massive parties. If you are a clean freak who likes a clear lawn and nice bathroom, this may not be the best holiday for you.
As a freshman, I didn’t quite understand what the big deal was surrounding Fest. Who wants to be surrounded by hundreds of intoxicated people in LeBron jerseys? That does not sound like my idea of a good time. However, I felt like I needed to experience at least one Fest, so I went to High Fest on High Street.
(Photo courtesy of nowthatscollege.com)
First of all, let me tell you that my LeBron jersey prediction was on point. Almost every man, woman, and child were wearing #23 on their back. Ohioans are so predictable. I don’t understand the hype of wearing sports jerseys to a party, but apparently, everyone else does.
After I noticed all the jerseys, I realized there were SO MANY PEOPLE SURROUNDING ME AT ALL TIMES. Can a girl have some room to breathe? Brushing up against sweaty bodies on a Saturday afternoon is the exact opposite of my definition of a good time.
When I walked up and down the street to look at the parties, I felt like I was in Project X…except these parties didn’t occur at night, they started before 9 a.m. I was not that dedicated, so I arrived around noon.
(Photo courtesy of athensnews.com)
If you think these insane parties go from 9 a.m. to midnight, I’m afraid you are very, very wrong. I saw the first party get shut down around two in the afternoon. The police and their horses were not having people’s foolishness that day. After the first party was shut down, it was a domino effect from there. Most of the parties were done by 3 or 4 p.m.
Although I am not a huge partier, I had fun with my friends. It was nice because I knew someone that had a house on High Street, so I people watched from there. Even if you don’t consider yourself a partier, you might find some fun in experiencing something new like I did.
Thanks for the interesting memories High Fest, I hope to see you thriving again next year.
(gif courtesy of giphy.com)