For the first time, Mayfest will offer constant entertainment on Dillo Day with a new “Dillo Village” and second stage, which will feature student music groups and yoga.
This is the first year Mayfest was able to secure funding for the second stage. As of Thursday night, the stage’s lineup was not finalized. Student band Mori and the Moonwalkers, yoga and Mariachi Northwestern are currently scheduled for the stage.
“One of the missions that we had was to bring student performers to the stage,” Mayfest co-chair Jeremy Shpizner said. “As far as locked-down programming goes, there are still a couple of things that we’re figuring out for the last couple of slots, but we will have a full day of programming on the second stage. It’s going to be extremely fun.”
Shpizner, a Communication senior, said the second stage started out as an idea to bolster programming on the Lakefill with as much talent and entertainment as possible. Mayfest petitioned Associate Student Government Senate for funding for the second stage on the basis Mayfest would engage the student body for as much time as possible on the Lakefill.
Mori and the Moonwalkers will kick off the day on the second stage, said Mallory Mattimore-Malan, Mayfest special events co-chair. The band, which came in second place in Mayfest’s Battle of the Bands last week, will perform at 12:30 p.m.
After that, the second stage will play host to a yoga session. Mattimore-Malan said the yoga session is intended to energize students arriving on the Lakefill. Mariachi NU will follow the yoga session.
“There are classic activities that people are probably familiar with on the Lakefill, like hookah or henna, but we wanted to step that up a little this year,” said Mattimore-Malan, a SESP senior. “We concentrated all activities into Dillo Village and we added a couple of new ones, including a ball pit. The second stage is the center of that space.”
Mattimore-Malan said there will be something happening on the second stage during all set changes for the main stage. Shpizner said Mayfest hopes with this constant programming, the flow of people on the Lakefill will be constant.
“Something that has always bothered me is that during set changes, things come to a halt,” Shpizner said. “People either leave or they don’t really know quite what to do with themselves.”
Mayfest spokeswoman Bri Hightower said unlike previous years, Dillo Day will will start as soon as the gates open.
“It’s like instantaneous programming,” said Hightower, a Communication junior. “The second stage really allows people to be more fun throughout the day. It helps people be safer, too.”
Nesa Mangal, a Medill freshman, was confused by the concept of the second stage.
“Is having more drunk people crowded around another stage a good thing?” Mangal asked.
Weinberg sophomore Akosua Owusu-Akyaw was more excited by the idea.
“If they had more bands there, it would be really cool,” Owusu-Akyaw said. “It would make it more Coachella-y.”
Hightower said if Dillo Day is moved inside due to thunderstorms, the second stage will be canceled.
