CWU is introducing “Wild Fest” to Student Appreciation Day on May 23 from 1-10 p.m. Live music, games, activities and food will all be free for CWU students to show appreciation for their hard work throughout the school year.

Campus Activities moved the usual location of the event from Barto Lawn to the Student Recreation Sports Complex across the street from Tomlinson Stadium. Special Events Coordinator for Campus Activities Avery Cortinas said the bigger space will help provide multiple stages for more student and DJ performances. The goal is to create more of a music festival type experience for CWU students.

Wild Fest kicks off with the hip-hop rodeo where break dancers from around Washington state will perform on open dance floors. DJs, rap battles and graffiti showcases will also be put on in the complex. Graffiti art and merchandise will be made available for purchase throughout the event.

Music performances will start around 3 p.m. CWU student performers Mikey O’Malley, Sp3rrow, Peregrine Spane and Gultrixx will perform while Seattle-area bands DedElectric, Bed and DoNormaal will continue the musical action on multiple stages until 6:30 p.m.

Yard games will be available throughout the event as well. Life-size Jenga, Yatzy, cornhole and archery tag will be put on in collaboration with the Recreation Center. Kat Balyeat, intern at the Recreation Center, said Wild Fest will help serve as a grand opening of the newly built sports complex.

“It’s just kind of showcasing it and it’s different. It kind of gives a different vibe and we can do a lot more with it as well because it’s not such a contained space,” Balyeat said. “It’s going to be a better experience for students.”

Activities will also include inflatable bounce houses, an obstacle course, human foosball, sumo wrestling, bungee running and even boxing. The Wellness Center will be putting on a tie-dye station from 1-3 p.m.

CWU junior student Aaron Zewdie believes attendance will be down compared to last year due to less walking traffic.

“I didn’t realize it was Student Appreciation Day last year until the day of [Student Appreciation Day] when I was walking past Barto going to class,” Zewdie said. “If it wasn’t next to the SURC I would have probably missed it.”

ASCWU will be driving golf carts from the SURC to the event to help students with transportation to and from Wild Fest.

No personal water bottles are going to be allowed inside. Free water and sunscreen stations will be located throughout the complex. Free Monster Energy drinks, ice cream and snowcones will be given out during the event, while Dining Services will provide one free meal to each student. The first 1,000 students to attend the event will get a free Wild Fest T-shirt.

The main stage opener is CWU student John Thomas who starts at 7:30 p.m. As for the main concert, California based headliner Hobo Johnson and The Lovemakers will look to wrap things up with a bang.

Wild Fest is open to CWU students only. Students will have to swipe their Connection Cards in order to get into the event. No bags are allowed into the event unless they are transparent, and no students will be allowed to enter the Recreation Sports Complex after 8 p.m. for safety purposes.