Spring Fest 2.0: Reviving a School Tradition
On Friday, March 20, the last day of school before Spring Break, ASB hosted CCHS’ second annual Spring Fest, cementing a new, festive school tradition. A sweeping heat wave brought perfect, 80 degree weather to one of the best days of the school year, when students celebrated making it to a 2-week break.
Though CCHS has held Spring Fests since before 2000, the tradition died during the pandemic. ASB first revived the event last year as “more of a trial run to see how the student body perceived it and what all the possibilities could be for the future,” says ASB Commissioner of Activities Cassandra Kay-Smith, a sophomore, who organized this year’s festival.
Based on the incredible success of last year’s festival, those possibilities for future Spring Fests must have seemed limitless. So, ASB went all-out with new additions. This year, Spring Fest featured a “Puppy Party” near the library, where students could sit in an enclosure and pet shih tzu puppies. There was even a teacher dunk tank that was generously staffed by Mr. Smith, Mr. Ocana, Mr. Darien, and Mr. Murchison. Like last year, Spring Fest included giant inflatables and performances from student bands at CCHS on the plaza stage. Four bands—The Chriton Leprechaun, Spike and Friends, Subject to Change, and 22 Degrees—were able to play, some with original songs, energizing the event in a way that only live music can.
Smaller activities were also scattered throughout the main lawn and lunch plaza. Clubs had the opportunity to sell food, and a table-decorating contest with a $100 prize made sure that each booth looked festive (the Badminton Club won the contest). Students ran face-painting, henna, and photo booths, and ASB provided supplies to make free flower crowns and friendship bracelets. But they also changed some things to make Spring Fest more accessible. Notably, ASB decided to eliminate last year’s overly confusing ticket system, where students had to buy paper tickets which they could then exchange for activities or food from clubs, which clubs could then exchange back for money.
“Overall, we just wanted to include more interactive activities and more things that were free and fun to do. We wanted to make it feel like there were a lot of choices and you didn't run out of things to do while you were there,” says Kay-Smith.
After football season ends, there aren’t many school-wide activities that all CCHS students can attend and experience together, but Spring Fest provides that opportunity. All 6th period teachers were told to bring their classes to the event, and almost every student wandered through Spring Fest during 6th period. Afterwards, some even stayed until the event ended around 4pm. “Seeing our community come together like that is exactly what ASB strives to do,” Kay-Smith said, and she is excited to see what new activities future Spring Fests will bring.
Last year’s Spring Fest was an entertaining, school-spirit-filled event, but this year’s saw multiple improvements and proved that this is a tradition that deserves to stay alive for many years to come.