Lawntopia is a Must-Go for several reasons, especially for graduating seniors! It is a fun, free concert event hosted by the ASUCD’s Entertainment Council after the hard work and dedication they put into making the event happen. This year, it was from 6-10 pm at the West Quad of the Memorial Union (aka the grass area).
I will list the reasons why I think Lawntopia is a must-go!
Source: https://lawntopia.ucdavis.edu/
1: This is a relatively safe hangout spot.
This year, there was good security that came by and even fire trucks whenever someone got injured. Although it got crowded at some point during the actual concert, I think that it was still okay. I did not see physical fights or anyone physically shoving each other out of the way. People did ask if they could get through among seas of people, but there was no harm. I also saw a Heath 34 van. This van offers “non-emergency support and service navigation for mental health and basic medical care”, according to the UC Davis Fire Department. There is even SafeRide and a 10:10 pm bus home from the MU. I also heard that since Aminé was still singing by 10:10, the Unitrans drivers chose to drive home a bit later. I was filled with a lot of gratitude when I heard this. There were no troubles with security this year, even if there were some troubles last year.
Source: UC Davis Magazine
2: It is free, and you get to see famous singers. I repeat: FREE and FAMOUS SINGERS
Although I left before seeing Aminé, it was still great hearing Ravyn Lenae sing. Her voice sounded so magical, just like the Disney princesses in the movies I watched as a young girl. We also got to see a local Davis singer Alxzn’s performance. I thought his alternative singing style was cool, especially when he sang a verse that some singers/rappers usually can only create with autotune. I wanted to see Amine, but my stomach was not starting to feel good by this point. However, you can still have friends record clips of the singers singing, then have them send them to you! The actual concerts started more towards 7 pm, but time went by really fast. Someone I know told me that Aminé sang and rapped really well in his live performance. He came by at 9:30 pm because things got delayed.
Source: UCD Arts Blog
3: You can bond with friends even more and take a mental health break
This is the chance to be in a more relaxing, de-stressing environment from all the midterms, homework assignments, and projects that students have throughout the quarter. Since this is also on a Friday, students still have the chance to catch up on other assignments and studying during the weekend. I got to know friends of friends that I previously chatted with, but had less opportunities to see because we are in different majors and are taking different classes. I enjoyed talking about family, friends, classes, funny stories, vulnerable moments, and other shared hobbies/interests. We rushed to get food from iTea before the actual starting time of the concertWe rushed to get food from iTea before the actual starting time of the concert—I recommend this the most. Since it is the closest place to campus, a lot of food places are packed. I recommend that you go to closer food places with friends, as this is the best option.