The Mesquite Online News - Texas A&M University-San Antonio

Weather forecast drives Fall Festival indoors

With a rainy forecast this weekend, the Campus Activities Board will move Fall Fest inside the Central Academic Building and auditorium noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20.

The board met Tuesday evening, Oct. 16 to review weather reports, and members agreed to relocate the entire festival indoors.

“It’s the best decision that we could try to make right now given the circumstances,” said Rene Orozco, CAB president. “Ideally we would’ve loved to have had the festival outside, given the scale that we were trying to reach and showcase the talent we have. But I’m thankful that we can still accommodate Fall Fest.”

Admission and parking are free, and Fall Fest is open to the public.

Activities such as a petting zoo and bounce houses have been canceled because of the rain, along with food vendors such as funnel cake and fajita barbecue grillers.

Student organizations will still be able to sell a variety of food, drinks and merchandise to raise funds for their club activities. Non-food vendors will be in the auditorium lobby, games and refreshments in the cafeteria and all food vendors along the side of the cafeteria. Bands and other entertainers will perform in the auditorium.

Orozco said organizers monitored weather sources including the Weather Channel, WeatherBug and local TV stations such as KSAT and WOAI. As of Wednesday night, meteorologists had predicted a 70 percent chance of showers for Saturday.

Festival serves as fundraiser, promotional event for student clubs

As of Thursday, 12 recognized student organizations had registered to participate in Fall Fest, Orozco said.

One of them is the History Club. Members will sell cans of Coke, Diet Coke, Big Red and Sprite for $2 each. In the past the club has used Fall Fest as an opportunity to spread information about the club instead of using it as a fundraising effort.

This year they hope to fund their future trips with what they earn at Fall Fest.

“Typically we (the History Club) take about two trips a year,” said Kristin Dragon, History Club president. “Last year, one was in Austin and we used some of the proceeds to see some talks, visit the LBJ museum; it was a lot of fun. Usually we go rent a car, or van for all of us, and pay for room, board and tickets for the events.”

They also help with various book signings done by professors in the history department throughout the year.

Fall Fest will not be their only source of funding this year, but they hope to make a good showing there to help students attend conferences as well as other events this year.

“Historically the club has not done much fundraising,” said Dragon. “The club has been able to get by with the funds allocated from the university and student dues.”

As the student body grew, so did the number of clubs, and those allocated funds shrank. Fundraisers like Fall Fest have become a lifeline for this recognized student organization.

The Catholic Student Association is bringing the classic Duck Pond game to Fall Fest.

Blanca Mora, association president, said proceeds will help the club fund a retreat in January 2019 and gather clothing and gift bags for visiting children’s hospitals.

The CSA meets 12:30-2 p.m. every Monday in Room 219 of CAB “to discuss topics of God’s calling, faith and church,” Mora said.

Bands anticipate fun crowds

Live entertainment will include country band Small Town Habit, Latin flair band EZtilo, alternative rock band Godiva and open mic poetry by Texas A&M University-San Antonio student Miguel Alcorn.

EZtilo, a Uvalde-based band, will perform 3-4 p.m. EZtilo’s singer, Matt Padilla, described the group as a “live DJ band.” Their musical style ranges from cumbia to country to a mix of reggaeton and the oldies.

“We’re excited,” Padilla said of playing Fall Fest. The group has played in the San Antonio area but never at a university.

The group consists of Padilla, Javier Rangel, Omar Avila, Adelso Contreras and Miguel Acosta. In their five years as a band, they have played all over southeast Texas, from Corpus Christi to San Angelo to Eagle Pass.

Small Town Habit is a Floresville band with five members: Krystal Franklin, backup vocalist; Charli Franklin, lead vocalist and acoustic guitar; Fabian Vela, electric guitar; Thomas Miller, drummer; and Stephen Viella, bass guitar. The band plays Texas Country music, non-regionally known as Red Dirt music, and they have been together for 16 years.

They will perform at 4:30 p.m.

“We don’t play too often on college campuses, not since I was in college,” Krystal Franklin said in an interview Friday, Oct. 12 at the Thirsty Horse Saloon. “We are working on new originals to play that performance, and we are excited to see how the crowd likes them.”

This will be their first time performing at Texas A&M-San Antonio for Fall Fest. They are planning a fun, up-tempo show. They played at Texas A&M’s College Station campus last spring.

“Students are more enthusiastic crowds, there’s a different atmosphere and everyone is on the same page,” Franklin said.

The band has performed at Thirsty Horse, Cooter Browns, Floore’s Country Store and the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo. The band plays cover songs with their originals and are looking to transition into just their originals. Their most-requested songs by fans are “Just Love” and “Missing Texas.”

“It is important in the music business, and as a songwriter, it is really cool to write about who you are, and who you are is the place that formed you, so we like to perform for our communities,” Franklin said.

The band usually plays close to home, on the outskirts of San Antonio and Floresville. Three of five members are Floresville natives; the other two members grew up on the South Side of San Antonio.

Fall Fest going strong for a decade

The university has hosted Fall Fest since 2008, according to a 2010 Mesquite article.

This is not the first time the festival has been moved indoors because of rain. In 2015, a major storm hit San Antonio, which caused heavy flooding around the city. That year, Fall Fest ended early because of the weather, according to an Oct. 29, 2015, article in The Mesquite.

Orozco said the support of paid sponsors such as Whataburger and Wells Fargo helps CAB make the festival a major event and open it up to the community.

Fall Fest is the second-largest festival on campus, he said. The largest is Festival de Cascarones in the spring.

“It’s a fun event; it’s a fundraiser,” Orozco said. “So come out, have a good time and support student organizations. Because you know, we have to support our Jaguar family.”

 

Contributors to this story are Kristopher Aguirre, Vanessa Arce, Aaron Campbell, Jason Hosmer, Hannah Lopez, Brittany Pichler and Rita R. Martinez.

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