It’s the end of the year and you know what that means: the annual Bye Gosh Fest is coming up. On May 6, Bryce Vine and The Astronomers will be performing in-person.

“Students deserve to have fun after working so hard for the past year, and Bye Gosh Fest was created for that exact reason: to celebrate and appreciate all the students’ hard work by giving them a unique opportunity to have fun that is completely free to them,” said Emma Smith, music coordinator for the festival.

The Bye Gosh Fest is an annual event that consists of a concert, henna, caricatures and food. This is the first time in two years that there will be a live event.
Last year the main music event was B.o.B and his performance was streamed virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The event took place in Reeve Memorial Union’s courtyard.

Smith said that the purpose of this event is to give students a break from studying and allows them to relax a bit before the end of the year.“We all know that each semester is taxing on every student in a variety of ways, so this gives students a place to have fun and celebrate themselves completing another year in college,” she said.

UWO sophomore Katie Pulvermacher said that she enjoyed B.o.B and thinks it is funny that she has technically seen him, but not in-person.

“Last year’s Bye Gosh Fest was the best it could be, despite COVID-19 still being a main concern,” she said. “Reeve Union Board did their best to make it enjoyable for participants. My roommate and I had fun doing crafts and eating food while listening to the smaller artists perform, but it would’ve beengreat to see B.o.B perform in-person.”

Smith said that they chose The Astronomers because of their energetic performances and how much the students enjoy them.
She said that the Reeve Union Board decided to bringin Bryce Vine because he has a great connection with the audience during performances.

“We needed an artist who is going to come to campus with the goal of giving a fun, energetic performance so it aligns with the goals of Bye Gosh Fest as a whole,” she said. They also asked students to vote on six potential artists to bring to campus and Bryce Vine received the majority vote. Pulvermacher said that she is excited to see Bryce Vine because she has been a fan for years.

“Live music is one of my favorite things, and everyone should take advantage of a great performer,” she said.
Smith said the best part of the event is that it is completely free. Students only need to bring their student ID.
“Many other campuses put on concerts during the year with headlining artists like Bryce Vine, but we have designed this event so no student has to pay and [all] can enjoy all the fun activities and the huge concert at no cost.”

Pulvermacher said her parents, who are UWO alumni, said that there was nothing like this when they attended college here
Smith said that she thinks students should go because it’s a great way to kick off the summer and hang out with friends.

“It is the perfect way to have some fun and create memories with friends before either graduating or before the summer starts,” she said.
The Bye Gosh fest will be held at Kolf Lot 13 from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. and is free to students with IDs. Students should check their school email for what is allowed to be brought in.