Columnist Erin Davoran recalls the stories of legendary street fests and urges students to revitalize the struggling season even better than before.
Gather ‘round by the fire kids and let me tell you a tale of yore. Now, that fire is not of bon or camp, but of basement. The basement of 11 Palmer St.
The year was 2012. None of us (save for you super seniors living the dream) had arrived to the magical land of Athens yet. But those of us who had sent in our acceptance letters and paid our housing fees were waiting and watching like a kid outside the castle in Johnny’s Toys, mailed birthday key in hand, eager to be allowed in.
While waiting and watching, what did we see? Video footage of SWAT teams, cops on horses almost stepping on a guy getting arrested, a house fire at 11 Palmer and a girl who just thought someone was cooking a pizza.
For a lot of us, Palmer Fest 2012 was our first glimpse of fest season, and to an extent, Ohio University itself. It was terrifying, or exhilarating, or maybe a bit of both.
Alas, that was a fest season like we have never known. With the transition from quarters to semesters in fall of 2012 that altered the fest schedule drastically, as well as harsher crackdown and shutdown of the street soirees by both the police and university, fests have become tamer and end earlier. They are, in a way, a mere ghost of street fests’ past, though not for a lack of trying by fest-goers who fight to keep the spirit alive and well.
But cheer up Charlie, all is not lost! For we have the rare blessing of ignorance. Yes, we saw the videos and the Princeton Review articles and stepped into the too-big shoes of the Bobcats who came before us. We were immediately burdened with the expectations that came with the title of No. 1 party school. We were branded with the Bobcat reputation while we were still kittens.
But the truth is that we were never No. 1. Those who came before us reached the top, for better or worse, and since then we have seen our party ranking drop and the raucousness of the infamous fests wane.
Of course, this decline does not hold true across the board. Though the Princeton Review ranked us the 16th biggest party school this past year, Playboy reaffirmed our reputation by putting us on top. And though street fests are forced to end while the sun still shines high in the sky, #Fest has grown into a ratchet and unrestrained force to be reckoned with.
But for the most part, we missed the heyday. That’s OK. Not having to live it leaves us nothing to miss.
And there’s still hope for a comeback if that’s what you’re after. While local law enforcement has slowly sucked the life out of Palmer Fest, other streets thrive. Mill Fest is my favorite of them all. High Fest is a good second. I’ve never gone to Milliron or Palmer Place, but they’re hanging in there.
Let’s not forget other random fests Bobcats have embraced and amplified, like Santa Fest and Freeze Fest. Remember Fugitive Fest? Ah, the memories.
Are the fests up to par with what they once were? No. But I don’t think they’ll go away, and I don’t think the change is all bad either.
For example, we should remember what other lists we top besides just partying, because that’s not what we should want to be or be known for.
Plus, maybe losing popularity as a party school will help control the crowds and the damage.
I’m not a fan of the micromanaging happening with fest season, but after seeing a friend’s place on Mill last year basically morph into that house from Jumanji, I can concede that there is room for improvement.
When things get too rowdy, I believe it’s usually out of towners (though certainly not all, or perhaps not even most of them) who don’t know how to handle or respect Athens the way we do. Let those numbskulls stay home thinking OU isn’t fun anymore. Without them, we’ll reconstruct and recuperate fest season. Some people are already working on it.
Let’s build a better fest season. Not for the ratchetness, drunkenness or the party school rankings. Those are perhaps the exact reasons to let it cool off.
Let’s do it for that feeling you get on a fest day: good weather (hopefully), good music (just pretend EDM is your thing), good friends/neighbors/strangers, ridiculous outfits that are losing their sense of irony, denial about school responsibility and maybe a keg stand or a barbecue or two.
It’s the feeling I got the first time I had ever visited Athens in 2012, a few months before Palmer happened. I could see myself walking down the brick streets with friends, feeling content and enthusiastic about where I was and who I was with. Four years later I still get that feeling, especially during the fests.
Let’s get back to that. If we can, I have no doubt the fest seasons of storied past will soon return in a triumphant blaze of glory - metaphorically of course.
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Stay safe. Help each other stay safe. Don’t be a dummy but also know your rights. Enjoy the magic of Athens. Happy festing!
Erin Davoran is a senior studying journalism. Do you have a good fest story? Tweet her @erindavoran or email her at ed414911@ohio.edu.
