Skimmerfest to lead way to football opener

This Saturday marks the second annual Skimmerfest, which will bring students to College Green for music, food and activities from 3 to 5 p.m.

Electronic music artists Penguin Prison and A-Trak will headline. “I think the fact that we have a big artist is great and hopefully people will get used to having this event every fall and will make it part of their yearly routine,” senior class board Executive Vice President and College senior Jodi Miller said.

It also strategically comes right before Penn football’s home opener against Lafayette. A Penn Band procession will lead students down to Franklin Field around 5:30 p.m. “Our goal is to create that buzz and excitement at the event and then when the Penn Band comes on after A-Trak finishes his set, transfer that energy to the football game,” Social Planning Events Committee Treasurer and Wharton senior Gib Baltzer said. We are going to pump Penn up before the game and keep that energy going.”

Attendance at football season openers has been pretty steady for the past five years, hovering at around 13,000 with the exception of two years ago when it dropped to around 9,500. Skimmerfest organizers hope to use the event’s momentum to increase attendance and spirit at the game.

Though Skimmerfest in its current shape and form is relatively new, its evolution has been quite long.

Skimmer had been a class board event put on by the sophomore class and held on the Schuylkill River to support the rowing teams. Over the years, it transformed into what we now know as Spring Fling. Other iterations of the event include SPEC’s Fall Fest. Beginning last year, Skimmer merged with Fall Fest into what it will be this weekend.

“We decided to make it open to the whole school and make it a three board project and partner with SPEC,” Miller said. “They are great having the music component and we contribute some of the food and party-planning stuff. So we joined forces and made this big event for everybody.”

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