After weeks of anticipation, students, faculty and alumni filled Hillsborough Street on Saturday for the second Packapalooza.
The event capped off Wolfpack Welcome Week and featured food trucks, live music and countless information booths about N.C. State-related groups.
Thousands showed up to see Chancellor Randy Woodson, Head Football Coach, Dave Doeren and Scotty McCreery perform.
Rachel Morrison, a senior communication major, missed out on the show because she was working as a vendor for Jill’s Beach, a tanning salon with several locations around Raleigh.
However, Morrison said the event was still memorable.
“My friend got to see Scotty McCreery, so that was cool,” Morrison said. “It’s just nice to be around people out here and get to talk to them. Lots of good people, definitely.”
Matthew Williams, a senior majoring in history and a member of the Packapalooza planning committee, said the event could eventually become a defining tradition for Raleigh.
“The fact that we are able to bring it back after the 125th anniversary and for it to be so big its second year, the possibilities are endless for what Packapalooza could be, Williams said. “It’s really going to be a Raleigh staple, not just an N.C. State staple.”
Packapalooza featured different zones, including the green zone, which focused on N.C. State’s commitment to sustainability and recycling, said Justine Hollingshead, director of the N.C. State GLBT center.
At the Wolfpack Zone, N.C. State athletes from the football team, soccer team and others signed autographs for fans.
The international zone shared the culture of students and faculty from around the world. The zone also included members of the N.C. State Office of International Affairs.
According to Communication Specialist for the OIA, Megan Landwehr, the booth was designed to promote their mission—easing foreign student’s transition to the United States.
Groups representing colleges within N.C. State also made an appearance, like peer leaders from the Poole College of Management.
“Our organization is called peer leaders and our role is just to assist freshman with the transition process from high school,” said Kaitlyn Brinn, a sophomore in business administration. “We also advise them. We’re like ‘mini advisors’ and we just help out PCM any way we can we and try to be the best resources for first year students.”
The N.C. State Entrepreneurship Initiative set up boards that people could write down business ideas.
“The Entrepreneurship Initiative is an entrepreneurship organization that promotes small business and entrepreneurship for N.C. State students,” said Tasso Von Windheim, a senior majoring in material science engineering. “Right now we have about 20 or 30 or so people who come to regular meetings and we basically help them network from around the school or around the area. Even if you don’t want to start your own business we help people get in touch with other start-ups [after they graduate].
Von Windheim said those interested in the group can check them out on Facebook, and meetings are every other week in the Garage building on centennial campus.”
