Nichole Taylor/The Cougar
UH’s Frontier Fiesta tradition is expected to take parts of its festival to the internet like most events this past year. But this year it is using a new name: Fiesta Live.
Running from March 25-27, the student-led spring festival usually turns parts of the campus into a “town,” with rides, competitions, petting zoos and concerts among much more.
Frontier Fiesta association chair Bianca Ibarra says they had to adapt. “This unprecedented year certainly calls for a new series of events and that is what we have put together for you,” Ibarra said.
Students can look forward to both in-person and online events this year, but all in-person events will require adherence to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines and University protocols.
When the association began to plan the festival, they had many things to consider.
“For starters, we simply cannot have crowds of nearly 30,000 people over the span of a three-day festival,” Ibarra said. “We definitely had to step back and think through a number of different strategies to try and make the event work. This year’s series of events is quite different from what most people know as Frontier Fiesta.”
The full list of events for the weekend is expected to be announced sometime in the coming weeks. “We have an entire week of great events that are being reviewed by the University Event Screening Committee and as soon as we all come to agreement on the event plans, we will unveil full details,” said Ibarra.
Last year’s fiesta was canceled due to the pandemic. This year, students can look forward to similar elements from previous years, with new COVID-19-friendly events as well.
“We want to ensure safety above all else while also giving students the opportunity to engage in a couple activities that are not all completely virtual,” Ibarra said. “As always, we are committed to creating a positive and safe experience for all attendees and student safety remains a top priority.”
