After a long, quiet year with minimal social gatherings due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Quinnipiac University’s Student Programming Board (SPB) and student-run radio station WQAQ-FM managed to organize a huge 2021 Fall Fest.

The anticipation from the club’s Executive Board members has been brewing while organizing the event since June. The SPB President Shannon Flaherty says students couldn’t be more excited that it turned out to be a success.

“We are very grateful and thankful that we have this opportunity, especially when I got the greenlight essentially over the summer I was filled with so much joy,” Flaherty said. “I was so happy we could bring back the concert in such a large scale.”

The annual free event included food, games, rides, crafts and live entertainment. The concert warmed up with Grayson DeWolfe, Trevor Daniel and ended with Rebecca Black.

Flaherty is excited SPB and WQAQ pulled off bringing big artists to the table this year.

“Our number one goal was to just create a huge scale event post-pandemic,” Flaherty said. “We wanted to create something that would be memorable and that’s a big part of the reason why we wanted to get recognizable names, like Rebecca Black and Trevor. A lot of people haven’t seen Fall Fest before, so we wanted to create that tradition and create that lasting impact for students.”

Although the students worked tirelessly to ensure there would be an epic Fall Fest on the Quad, they say none of it would’ve happened without the guidance from Quinnipiac Assistant Director of Campus Life for Student Centers and Student Involvement Jahmil Effend. Effend says the students did a great job pulling it all together and is excited that Fall Fest was able to happen this year.

“What I really hope is that people have an experience, something they can really enjoy and look back on and something that is fun during the fall semester, especially for the seniors,” Effend said. “Obviously it’s not Wake the Giant, but it is the next closest thing and it’s a really cool event where we get to bring the community together and have fun.”

Chief Experience Officer Tom Ellett was thrilled the event took place on the Quad.

“Today there is so much energy, so much diversity of fun, music, food and all of the things a college student wants to do on a lazy, fall afternoon,” Ellett said.

Students like SPB Vice President of Membership Paige Pezzella witnessed first hand how hard work pays off.

“Having Fall Fest be this huge concert that we can just do at our school is really crazy, so I think that setting up the stage and getting passes and wearing ‘Event Staff’ T-shirts and things like that were the most exciting parts for me along with watching it all come together,” Pezzella said.

SPB and WQAQ hope Fall Fest will continue to grow in future years.

“I’ve been able to see Fall Fest when it was in the parking lot in South Lot, I was able to see it in 2019 on the Quad, I saw it not happen during the pandemic and then for it to come back and have recognizable performers is something that just brings me so much joy,” Flaherty said.

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