Eastern’s annual Springfest is set to begin Thursday and run through Saturday. 

The festival will be filled with food trucks, art booths, live performances and even a sand sculpture for students to enjoy while they take a break from the stresses of preparing for finals.

“It’s a fun way to kind of welcome spring and send off the spring semester, that can rough on students,” Dennis Malak, the director of programming, publicity and promotion, stated. “So, it’s just a nice kind of break for everybody.” 

The festivities will take place outside of the Doudna Fine Arts Center in their circle drive and within the concourse.

“The food trucks will load in down here on Doudna Circle, which is the drive coming in from Ninth Street, and then it’ll wrap around with the art booths kind of going down south Seventh Street with a stage kind of in the middle,” Malak stated. 

Springfest will begin at noon on Thursday but will begin at 10 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. Outdoor activities will close at 6 p.m. every night of the festival. However, performances will be held inside Doudna until 8 p.m.

An art fair, food trucks, vendors, performances from Hello Dali– Eastern’s improv club– and Brian Turnbough– a sand art sculptor– will be present every day of the festival, but many other performances will vary by day. 

“Thursday night we have an opera called ‘Seasons of Love’,” Malak said. “They’re doing a musical theater opera medley showcase, and then Friday we have the Wind Symphony with a guest high school ensemble, and then Saturday in the evening we have the New Works Symposium. But throughout the day each day we’re gonna have a stage; there’s going to be a chance for just open mics/karaoke.” 

Thursday’s schedule also includes the 2024-2025 season announcement and a performance of “John & Jen” by students in the musical theatre department.

On Friday, there will be a musical story time as well as a performance of “Children of Eden” and “John & Jen” by musical theatre students. 

Saturday’s activities include the Charleston Action Network butterfly art project, art and science activities for kids, open mic and karaoke and a performance by EIU Dancers.

Springfest’s detailed schedule can be found on Eastern’s website.

Audra Gullquist can be reached at 581-2812 or at agullquist@eiu.edu.