As part of Wolfpack Welcome Week, the Union Activities Board joined forces with multiple on and off campus organizations to create a Friday Fest filled with free food and entertainment.

Matthew Holt, a senior in landscape architecture, has been to three previous Friday Fest concerts, and was most excited about this year’s event because of the music act, he said.  

Josh Gracin, along with Marcel and Johnny Orr & the South Station Band, provided students with a well-received show, but the missing element was Chuck Wicks.  

After informing the UAB he was sick with the flu, Wicks was a no-show.  

Wicks, who later posted on his Twitter “say ‘when’ and I’ll come back,” disappointed many students.  

“I was disappointed [Chuck Wicks] cancelled,” Adam Rodgers, a sophomore in First Year College, said. “I was looking forward to hearing his music.”

Even without the appearance of Chuck Wicks, many students felt the concert was a success.  

“I’m not a huge fan of country music, but the show was very entertaining,” Jordan Ferguson, a sophomore in biology, said. “[Josh Gracin] put on a fun, interactive show.”

Ferguson said she returned to Friday Fest this year because the previous year was a hit, but this year proved to be better.  

“The Seventeen Magazine giveaways was a good addition this year,” she said. “I know all the girls enjoyed that.”

The addition of outside groups, such as the Seventeen Magazine U booth, was a feature that students seemed to enjoy, Ferguson said.

According to Holt, the girls were not the only ones to enjoy the free food and giveaways. “I love all the free food and t-shirts,” he said. “I am a huge fan of free stuff.”

Rodgers did not have just one favorite aspect of the event.  “I like everything about [Friday Fest],” he said.  

“The food is free and the music is awesome; I have nothing bad to say,” Rodgers said.  

The event was also a way for students to learn about big campaigns on campus. As students walked through the gate, they were handed a Rally4Tally information card to introduce them to the improvements that will be happening to Tally Student Center, Union Activities Board sunglasses to advertise future events that will be happening through the UAB, and a reusable water bottle to promote sustainability around campus.  

“Giving out information on projects going on around the University helps to unite the students toward a common goal. It gets new and returning students excited about the year to come,” Ferguson said.

Friday Fest is a great time to spend time with friends and enjoy some great music, Rodgers said.

“This event is a great way to end Wolfpack Welcome Week. It is fun, energetic and you get to meet lots of new people,” Ferguson said.