Students, dressed in everything from cowboy hats to funny costumes, were ready to carry on the long-lasting tradition of Fest Season, which has held importance within Ohio University’s history for generations.

“I'm excited for the whole day,” said Julia Lease, a senior studying engineering technology and management, as she prepared for the day ahead. "I think it will be fun.”

For many students at OU, Fest Season can be one of the most exciting times of the year. Back-to-back weekends of partying around the city of Athens as the weather starts to get warmer are fan-favorites of many students.

Passing the tradition on to first-year students and showing them the significance of the celebrations has occurred for generations. Fests serve as a reminder to students that they deserve to enjoy themselves, and that although it is important to work hard, it is also important to play hard.

The atmosphere at this year's Mill Fest was nothing short of electric. With the commencement of Fest Season, students buzzed from house to house while enjoying hanging out with their friends despite the brisk, yet sunny weather. Residents of the houses along Mill Street spent a great deal of energy and resources planning their events and were excited to have such a great turnout.

Vince Debeljak, a sophomore studying music production and recording, was the DJ for the party that was held at 32 N. College St. He said he originally began DJing in eighth grade and has never looked back.

Debeljak said he has had the opportunity to work with the people residing at the house since October 2022. He said the parties always end up being a good time and that house members set up his equipment so that he can focus on his performance. They were even able to build a DJ booth for him to perform in, which was usually put on the roof for past fests.

“They love me,” Debeljak said. “I love working with them. They’re a good crowd, and I love giving them good parties.”

Debeljak said he is subscribed to record pools, which allow him to download music and remixes and see what is popular at that time. When booking him, clients are also able to pick certain songs they may want on the playlist or what kind of music they prefer.

“My whole goal was to kick off Fest Season with a bang... I wanted to let everyone know that we are in fact back, better than ever, by throwing what I consider to be one of the best parties I’ve ever done. That Mill Fest party was absolutely insane.”-Vince Debeljak

Debeljak said that once he steps on stage, the stress he faces usually fades away. However, he often experiences moments of anxiety leading up to shows about making sure everything is prepared. He said the pressure can sometimes come from clients being too demanding.

“If they’re putting all this pressure on you to make them happy, then they have expectations for you, and it can make you nervous to try and fulfill all of those,” he said.

He said Mill Fest was super important for him because he wanted to start off Fest Season on the right note. He said he wanted students to know the parties would be better than ever this season.

“My whole goal was to kick off Fest Season with a bang,” Debeljak said. “I wanted to let everyone know that we are in fact back, better than ever, by throwing what I consider to be one of the best parties I’ve ever done. That Mill Fest party was absolutely insane.”

The backyard of 32 N. College St. was filled to the brim with students excited to party and happy to be out on such a gorgeous day. As classic pop songs came on back-to-back, students screamed along, vocal cords strained and spirits high.

Zach Katz, a sophomore studying media and social change, said he planned the party that occurred at 89 Mill St. and had been looking forward to the event for a very long time. He said Mill Fest is one of the residents’ favorite parties to throw, as it has a prime location in the center of all the action.

Katz said the residents of 89 Mill St. did not start planning for the party until roughly a month ago. But since then, he said he and his friends have taken a deep dive into logistics. He said they looked at everything from booking a DJ for the event and ensuring that crowd control is possible and not having too many people congregate on the property, which could lead to potential trouble.

He said he felt confident that everything would run smoothly, and everyone would have fun and enjoy themselves.

“I just hope they know that people that live there and the people that are friends with those people, they can throw some fun parties and come to another one,” Katz said.

Lease said she did not plan for Mill Fest at all. She simply woke up and was ready to party. She said she was excited to hang out with her friends and see everyone on Mill.

While some woke up and simply were ready to go, others spent more time mentally preparing for the day and had aspirations for their parties.

JD Lawrence, a junior studying accounting and business pre-law, said to prepare for Mill Fest he got up early and started rallying everyone in the house at 9 a.m. He said he was excited to see how the day would go and hoped everyone had a good time.

“I’m excited to see the turnout,” he said. “It’s been great in the past few years and I can’t wait to see how it ends up today.”

Others had very inspiring words for students getting ready to fight through the cold and enjoy the celebrations.

Charlie Vincent, a junior studying finance, said the important part of Mill Fest was powering through and getting through the day.

“We’re going to burn the boats,” he said. “There’s no retreat today.”

“Honestly, (Fest Season) is about getting into deep waters and finding yourself when you don’t expect it,”-Chance King

He said he hoped everyone made smart decisions and that they got everything out of the day that they wanted.

“Just stay smart,” he said. “Have fun and let’s all get after it today. Let’s all get after it.”

Chance King, a senior studying strategic leadership and management, planned his house party and said he was excited to see what the day would bring. While standing on his front lawn, beer in hand, King spoke words of wisdom directed toward the partygoers.

“Honestly, (Fest Season) is about getting into deep waters and finding yourself when you don’t expect it,” he said.

To prepare, he said he had been putting speakers up and making sure everything was ready to go. King said his biggest piece of advice for students about Mill Fest and Fest Season is to stay smart and keep open beer cans off the sidewalk.

To him, Mill Fest and the start of Fest Season meant getting excited for yet another beautiful OU tradition. King said he really hoped everyone had a great time and partied as hard as possible, as that’s what Fest Season should be all about.

“Listen, you’re young once,” King said. “So enjoy this time while you’re young. Fear no man and get it done today.”