Photo Courtesy of University Relations
After a year-long hiatus, the Hofstra University Fall Festival Concert & Carnival sprung back into full swing on Saturday, Oct. 2. Beginning at 2 p.m. on the North Campus Intramural Fields, the fun-filled day featured carnival attractions, games, food and live on-stage performances for students, alumni, family and friends.
Although masks were not required at this event, all who entered were required to provide proof of vaccination. For many Hofstra students, this was in the form of their online PridePass, which granted them free admission as well.
The day was filled with performances including student rap groups WYA (Where You At) and Yung Vil and DonLoui. WYA, a male rap trio, hyped up the small crowd with a lineup of their original songs. Following WYA was Yung Vil and DonLoui, who got the slightly larger crowd jamming out to their music. The tunes stayed blasting between sets through the speakers courtesy of Spynfo, who DJed the event. Spynfo’s way of catering to the audience’s taste was taking song requests via Twitter.
After a mix of music played by the DJ commenced, Hofstra class of 2010 alumna and emcee Dina Massery took the stage to welcome the 2021 Pride Court. From there, each member gave a brief introduction before the four Pride Royalty winners were announced. Seniors Amudalat Ajasa, Andrew Giovinazzo, Justin Shah and Mia Natalizio wore the crowns and took home the coveted titles.
Next up was Y2K, the 2000s cover band. Bringing back hits from the beginning of the 21st century, the crowd basked in the nostalgic bops of the iconic era. The group of six reminisced with the throwbacks of that time, featuring an eclectic selection of artists such as Alicia Keys, Paramore and Jay-Z. The band comprised of bass, guitar, drums, vocals and a DJ. They were thrilled to hit the stage, as this was their first show since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Closing with “Empire State of Mind,” the audience belted along passionately.
Stepping away from music, Hofstra dance group TranscenDANCE opened for the headlining act, T-Pain, with a dance medley. The high energy performance included upbeat hip-hop and jazz styles. The 10 dancers were made up of the executive board, senior and graduate student members.
The crowd grew massive in size as the main musical act of the day, T-Pain, was set to take the stage. The set began with an introductory video, which included photos and testimonials from other celebrities about the famous artist. The king of autotune made a bold, lively entrance on stage by screaming, jumping and dancing, enthusiasm which was reciprocated by the audience. Singing both classic and more recent works, T-Pain had fans going wild during his set.
A fireworks show by Grucci closed the eventful night on Hofstra’s campus. The 2021 Fall Festival Concert & Carnival was a success.
