Listening to an outdoor concert while enjoying a cup full of Dippin’ Dots and then challenging friends in a jousting match could be the perfect way to celebrate surviving the first week of classes.
On Friday from 8:30-11:30 p.m., BYU’s Event Management team from Campus Life will transform Brigham Square into campus’ first-ever Cougar Carnival. Students are invited to play games, hang out with Cosmo, take their chances on various inflatable arenas, enjoy live music from local bands and experience a legitimate amusement park ride all without leaving campus. Tickets cost $3 with Student ID and $5 for visitors.
Melissa Mendenhall, the student in charge of planning and organizing the event, said the Cougar Carnival is the perfect event to kick off Fall Semester.
“Because it’s so early in the school year, it’s a good place to bring new friends,” she said. “It has a lot to offer. It’s a fun way to experience the BYU atmosphere early on in the year.”
Jonathan Grether, one of Mendenhall’s co-workers on the Events Management team is looking forward to attending the event.
“There will be balloon popping games and a water shooting game where you compete against people to win prizes,” Grether said. “It’s going to be a lot fun.”
Prizes for carnival games are BYU themed, like cougar stuffed animals, giant foam fingers and other fan gear. Entertainment includes a climbing wall, live musical performances and various inflatables.
“There’s going to be some really cool things like an obstacle course, a bungee trampoline, a big slide and blow-up jousting,” Grether said.
But the real star of this show is the ride, “Tubs of Fun,” which Events Management is bringing in especially for the carnival.
“It’s similar to a spinning teacup ride,” Mendenhall said. “I think it might be the first time we’ve had a ride on campus so I’m pretty stoked about that.”
As a finale to Welcome Week, the carnival is meant to bring students together to celebrate the new school year.
“The purpose of the carnival is to get everyone pumped about the upcoming sports season and to welcome all the new freshmen and everyone back to campus,” Mendenhall said. “It’s to get everybody psyched about BYU.”
Ron Jones, head of Events Management, said if the event is a success, it will give his team room to make Welcome Week even better next year.
“If we have lots of students that come to the event and we get feedback that they like it, then next year we can make it bigger,” Jones said. “Our goal is to bring in more amusement type rides and make BYU its own personal carnival.”
