By: Megan Marron ’18

A yearlong effort became a sunny success during ValleyFest weekend.

The annual ValleyFest celebration was held at Lebanon Valley College April 19-22. The four day celebration was a resounding success for the nine executive directors and 30 committee members that planned the event.

ValleyFest weekend was kicked off Thursday, April 19, with a fundraiser at the Annville Grille. The Committee then hosted Trivia Night for 54 students at the Grille.

We The Kings, the Friday night concert, sold almost 400 tickets.

“The concert was a huge success,” Jess Zeiner, a senior exercise science major and President of ValleyFest, said. “We The Kings was awesome and they performed really well. I even got to play guitar with the lead singer.”

In a shift from previous years, the popular day festival was held on Sunday to allow students to participate in Saturday’s Lebanon Day of Caring.

The weather was beautiful for the festival, which hosted 9 food trucks and several craft and clothing vendors. There were also children’s activities, inflatables, and a DJ from a local radio station.

“The amount of people we saw on campus [for the festival] was just fantastic,” Zeiner said. “All the children and families were coming for our activities and inflatables, we’re reaching out to the community for a really fun day.”

Community members weren’t the only ones enjoying the sunshine. Hundreds of LVC students took to East Sheridan Avenue to participate in the activities and enjoy some great food.

“The weather was so great, so all the food trucks and activities were extra enjoyable,” Rachel Duong, a junior English and Spanish double major, said. “I’ve been waiting to get a Soul Burrito for a really long time, so I’m happy I got one at ValleyFest.”

Several campus and community organizations also used the day festival to raise awareness and funds for their groups.

“My favorite activity this year is the cornhole tournament hosted by Tau Kappa Epsilon,” Haley Groesbeck, a junior early childhood and special education major, said.

All-in-all, the weekend was a great way for students and community members alike to enjoy the weather and take in a fun concert prior to the stress of upcoming finals.