Students at UA Little Rock got to experience a taste of winter earlier this week, even amid unseasonably warm weather.
UA Little Rock brought holiday cheer to this typically-chilly season with its inaugural Winter Fest on Tuesday.
Holiday melodies filled the air. Parking and admission cost nothing, and most activities were free of charge. Even Maximus, the UA Little Rock Trojan mascot, showed up to greet the crowd.
Twinkling lights covered the campus. Local food trucks offered snacks and meals. UALR students used meal vouchers to pick up a free dinner.
Emily Cox, Vice Chancellor for University Affairs, was the creator and overseer of the event.
“I was looking for ways to bring and invite community members to our campus to see all that we have,” said Cox. “And I really have been trying to think of ways to help activate the Trojan way. And this was the way to do that. I was glad they thought it was a really good idea”
The Student Government Association joined the effort early. SGA president Ainsley Kendall said the group helped shape the event from the start, talking through tasks and deciding how to best support students.
“We sat on the committee from the very first meeting….talking about just, like, different roles and how it would impact students,” Kendall said. “This is different roles that student government was going to play in whether it was volunteering, or advocating for different events that were going to be there, like the novelties and fun games that are going to be there.”
SGA Secretary Ella Campbell volunteered as well. She says SGA handled the “fun jobs,” including picking prize ideas and deciding sweater categories. She was a parking lot volunteer.
“I picked the parking lot because nobody else was in it. And now I rechecked the form today, and there were a lot more people in it. So I am very happy because I did not want to do that by myself.”
Students, families, and community members filled Trojan Way for live music, skating, and holiday cheer. People grabbed cookies, sipped hot chocolate, and enjoyed a holly jolly evening full of activities for all ages.
Months of preparation went into creating this event, which Cox said was put together by a collaborative with a campus-wide committee.
“We have people from facilities from finance and administration. The police chief, our community engagement coordinator in my office. And the communications team and student affairs have been really critical as well.” She said that she was most proud of being able to stay under their $100,000 budget when putting Winter Fest together.
Kendall said the committee walked through the layout often and worked through each detail with care.
“We did a walkthrough of where everything was going to go, and multiple times we had to think about students, think about traffic,” Kendall said. “The committee actually worked really well together. They were open to hearing ideas and making sure each person got their input.”
Space became the biggest challenge as the list of attractions grew.
“As we all got more eager, the amount of space we had turned from a big space to a small space. Just finding places to coherently put all of those things so that they made sense.”
Campbell says she noticed the decorations early.
“They inflated giant ornaments. I really enjoyed that. And I think just having those decorations on campus brings a lot of life to our campus,” Campbell said.
Winter Fest featured live performances by the UA Little Rock Dance Team and The Rodney Block Collective. The quartet performs regularly at the Little Rock River Market each April and September for the “Jazz in the Park” series.
Visitors moved through an ice-skating rink, snow kids’ crafts and story time, an ugly sweater contest, and a planetarium show inside the Physics building. The UALR Astronomy Club created the show.
Kendall held the ugly sweater contest.
“I’m going to make sure that everybody gets their sweaters put in,” she said. “Then I’ll work with the ugly sweater judging committee to make sure we get everything judged right at six and announce the winners.”
Cox discussed her anticipation for all who would be attending the event.
“I’m thrilled the community’s coming, but there wouldn’t be a campus without students. So, I’m also looking forward to seeing faculty and staff bring their families to campus for a lighthearted, fun evening where they can be proud of where they work every day,” Cox said.
Kendall said she hopes Winter Fest becomes a long-term staple on campus.
“I hope Winter Fest becomes a tradition in general,” she said. “I think that it’s really important…having events each month is really beneficial. So I think I’m excited that that might happen next year.”
When the event wrapped up, students and visitors walked off Trojan Way with the last of their cocoa and plenty of holiday joy. Winter Fest brought the community together and gave students and faculty a bright, cheerful way to close the semester.