Students gather for FallFest at West Virginia University in Morgantown on Aug. 20, 2024.
MAX WARD | The Daily Athenaeum
After almost 30 years of FallFest, West Virginia University announced this week it would cancel its annual Welcome Week concert this year, according to Shauna Johnson, executive director of communications.
“After a nearly 30-year run for FallFest, the University is moving forward with new experiences to fit the interests of today’s students,†she said in an email to the DA, WVU's student newspaper.
This cancellation comes following a 68% attendance rate drop since COVID-19, with only 3,863 in attendance last year, according to previous DA reporting. Additionally, FallFest operated last Academic Year on the lowest budget in 15 years, with a total cost of $226,500.
This year, Welcome Week will include new activities, such as the Mountaineer Midway and Movie event on the Downtown campus for all students from 6-10 p.m. on Aug. 17, Johnson said.
Welcome Week will run as normal, other than the changes above, starting with:
Aug. 15, 10 p.m.-2 a.m: WVUp All Night in the Mountainlair
Aug. 16, 2-4 p.m.: the Student Organization Fair at the Student Rec Center
Aug. 16, 7-10 p.m.: Sunday Night Lights at Milan Puskar Stadium
Academic sessions begin Aug. 17, and classes begin Aug. 18. More information about schedules and events will be released in mid-July. Contact welcomeweek@mail.wvu.edu for more information.
