Spring’s arrival in Athens marks the start of another Fest Season. Fest season, a term used to describe the six weeks of weekend day parties from mid-March to April, is a highly anticipated time when students flock to as many parties as they can, most times taking up entire streets.
Whether it's Mill, Palmer, High or Congress, the streets of Athens fill with students ready to close out the school year in a fun way.
For many, Fest Season is about being carefree and having fun. It is a chance to let loose and celebrate being a student at Ohio University. For others, Fest Season can bring concerns. As Fest Season revolves around partying, awareness is a top priority for partygoers and hosts alike.
Mercedes Sustar, a senior studying political science, is looking forward to this year’s Fest Season. As a first-time Mill Street resident, Sustar and her roommates are excited to experience the heart of OU’s culture. Living in a prime location, she experiences the scene differently from most OU students.
“I kind of expected the crowd and the loudness that comes with living on Mill,” Sustar said. "Since it is my senior year and it is the majority of my roommates' senior year, we’ve kind of learned to love the chaos.”
Although party weekends are the main attraction, activities rarely slow down on Mill Street. On nicer days, many residents are outside enjoying the weather or spending time with friends from the comfort of their front yards or porches. On busier weekends, guests from all over come to experience OU’s party culture. The constant activity might be fun, but it can easily become a disruption.
Sustar said for her, the commotion is what makes her experience at OU so special, despite the distraction.
“I do think that we all kind of appreciate the noise for what it is, and know that we have very little time here, so we try to make the most of it while we can,” Sustar said.
Living on Mill Street looks different for everyone, and the environment diversifies even more when you add Greek life. There are fraternities on Mill known for hosting parties, and to some, they are what make Fest Season so special.
Troy Hornak, a junior studying marketing and the current social chair of Tau Kappa Epsilon, has had his share of rough situations with party culture on campus, and said the fraternity wants everyone to feel “safe and comfortable.”
“A lot of times there will be people that do stupid things, and a lot of times we have to kick them out because they’re a liability,” Hornak said. “Last year we had a lot of people climb on top of our roof and stuff like that.”
Hornak said the fraternity members do not dwell on these situations, as they understand people are there to have fun and expect some sort of mess after the parties are over. Even with the effort, preparation and clean up afterward, he said it is all worth it. Seeing the community come together and have a good time is the goal.
“It’s a great scene,” Hornak said. "Just seeing how much fun people are having at your own place, it’s a great time.”
As Mill Fest kicked off the activities last weekend, Palmer Fest parties will close them out. With the semester coming to an end and summer being right around the corner, students and guests are ready to go all out one last time.
Ethan Patterson, a resident of Palmer Street, said he enjoys living amidst the chaos of Fest Season. With Palmer Street being close to many spots on campus, there is much to love about the popular party spot.
One attraction of Palmer Street, the Palmer Place Fest, faced changes in 2024 due to liability and insurance concerns of Cornwell Properties, according to a previous report by The Post. With this being the main attraction of the weekend, the decision brought disappointment from residents. Despite the changes, Patterson said Palmer Street is even more crowded during its spotlight weekend.
“I think without Palmer Place, Palmer itself has gotten bigger,” said Patterson.
For many residents, the aftermath of Fest Season is what they dread the most. From cleaning up trash to replacing stolen goods, cleaning up can be tedious. If not done in time, some residents may face fines.
From noise complaints to litter violations, fines starting at $20 and rising to $100 are a factor many hosts have to consider.
“A couple of friends I have have gotten multiple trash violations for things related to parties from clean up,” Patterson said.
Patterson said much like dealing with the noise and liveliness, this is just a part of living within the Fest culture.
“There's an opportunity cost of doing that, to living on Palmer, to throwing a fest on Palmer, and I think that’s worth the territory of being here,” Patterson said.
