Frontier Fiesta may be UH’s oldest tradition, but that doesn’t mean that the event isn’t trying to step its game up whenever it comes to the changing times.
“I would say (Frontier Fiesta is) inclusive because of the steps that the board of directors and I have taken to really make this event one for the entire campus and Houston community as a whole,” Frontier Fiesta Chairman Brandon Blue said.
The event, headlined with a concert by hip-hop duo Rae Sremmurd on March 26, will include carnival rides and a Family Fun Day, as well as a new talent show and step show. Student organizations will also be allowed to participate in carnival booths.
“We have kept the traditional aspects of variety shows and the western themed city, while honoring some of the alumni we see crucial to the event,” Blue said. “However, this year we are trying to make it more of a modern event that is inclusive of every student we have on campus.”
Frontier Fiesta took a poll during the fall semester to see what type of artists students would be interested in and looked into past performances at the event to base their concert decision.
The Student Fees Advisory Committee created a pool of $100,000 in December to pay for concerts after individual requests from Frontier Fiesta, the Homecoming Board and the Student Program Board were denied.
The committee said that concerts are a luxury and should be enjoyed within UH’s means.
“Since their inception three years ago, the cost per student and budgetary apportionment for concerts has skyrocketed,” the SFAC recommendation report said. “This committee has chosen to reign in this excess, understanding that such massive monetary undertakings are not feasible in the current fiscal condition.”
But besides the money situation, Frontier Fiesta’s board of directors is putting its best foot forward and trying to embrace UH’s identity.
“Being one of the most diverse institutions in the United States, Frontier Fiesta would like to embody that in the best way possible,” Blue said.
