Whenever I ask upper classmen what their favorite events on campus are, I’ve always been told that the two best weekends at Longwood are Oktoberfest and Spring Weekend, and now I know why.
Oktoberfest started with some great food provided by D-Hall, and a parade of clowns and Spirit Leaders putting on hilarious dance performances for the crowd. Dozens of Longwood’s clubs and organizations decorated their own little booths that connected with the overall theme of “Haunted Oktoberfest.”
Many of them were selling hand-painted mason jars and goblets, bracelets, shirts, cups, as well as yummy food like hamburgers, chicken and fried Oreos. My personal favorite was the homemade “Dippin’ Dot” style ice cream, courtesy of the Physics Club.
After spending some time at the booths, I was able to relax and see some of Longwood’s very own talent. Organization after organization then took the stage behind Lankford Student Union to showcase their own special talent. A myriad of student performers were on display including the B.A.S.I.C. Choir, Pitch Perfect and the Lady Joans, High Street Harmony, the hip-hop dance group, FIERCE and a step routine from the Greek sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha. Not to mention the unforgettable and intense performances from Longwood’s Company of Belly Dance and Blue Heat.
With the student showcases finished, I was extremely excited to see all of the other great bands fill Longwood with their diverse music and performances that I wouldn’t have a chance to see otherwise.
One of the greatest surprises for me, and almost everyone else in the crowd, was the performance of Con Bro Chill. Being that I had never heard of them, I really had no idea what I was about to see. The moment I saw the band on stage with their outrageous neon costumes, I was definitely puzzled. However, after hearing them and seeing their excitement, as well as the growing excitement of the crowd, I really started to like them.
Even though people may have not known the words to their songs, their pure craziness and enthusiasm certainly got everyone hyped and set the tone for the rest of the evening.
After Sebastian Mikael, a more soulful artist, my friends and I waited in anticipation for The Ready Set to arrive on stage. Once they took the stage, the crowd went absolutely insane and continued to go crazy as they performed one of their most famous hits “Love Like Woe.”
Everyone, including myself, was singing at the top of their lungs and jumping up and down with excitement. After their unforgettable performance, front man, Jordan Witzigreuter made countless middle school dreams come true as he treated Longwood students to pictures or a signed poster.
After The Ready Set finished, my friends and I rushed to the front of the stage to secure front row spots for the upcoming Gloriana performance. While we waited for what seemed like an eternity in the ever-increasing cold, we had the great music of the Zac Brown Band tribute band, 20 Ride. As they played Zac Brown Band hits like “Toes,” “Chicken Fried” and “Whatever It Is,” they also masterfully performed the Stevie Wonder’s “Superstitions,” Alabama’s “Dixieland Delight” and The Charlie Daniels Band’s “The Devil Went Down to Georgia.” They all definitely continued to get the now very large crowd hyped despite the dropping temperatures.
The most anticipated event of the night was undoubtedly the performance of Gloriana. As they were introduced to the stage, the crowd went wild and everyone up front was jumping and screaming as the band immediately began to play a fan favorite song of theirs, “Wild At Heart.”
One of my favorite moments from the performance was being blown away by their cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams,” and I loved how they performed someof their upcoming singles like “Trouble” and “Best Night Ever.” Gloriana ended the performance with a bang by singing their most recent, and arguably most popular,single “(Kissed You) Good Night.” Oktoberfest is without a doubt one of the greatest things you can experience as a Longwood student. As a freshman, I didn’t really know what to expect, but I was completely surprised and immediately felt even more inlove with my school and all its traditions. It was so great to see so many organizations come together for a day of fall fun and music. If you didn’t attend, you really missed out on an incredible day.
