Lawnstock is an outdoor festival that Western Washington University hosts every spring quarter. Under normal circumstances, students would get together outside on the Communications Facility lawn and listen to live music while enjoying free food, games and other activities.
This year, Lawnstock will be happening with some changes and accommodations being made to ensure the safety of those attending the event.
There won’t be live musical performers, but there will still be music played by KUGS 89.3 FM Radio. Games like cornhole and other activities will be provided along with squared off areas for students to gather with their small group of friends on campus.
Those who aren’t able to come to campus and live nearby are encouraged to participate in the event by offering their yard as a place to gather with their small groups and sign in from their mobile devices to tune in.
“Once we figured out campus was opening up more and went into level 3 operations, we then knew we could do this,” Casey Hayden, assistant director of program activities said.
Students are encouraged to tune into KUGS Radio and bring their lawn chairs to celebrate Lawnstock either on campus or outside their homes. Lawnstock is happening all over town, on and off campus on June 5 from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.
“It might be the break that some people need,” fourth-year Western student Jake Lingo said. “I just hope that students can uphold the proper safety precautions set by WWU and that they enjoy the event safely.”
Kevin Harris, AS special events coordinator, says that there would be regular sanitizing of things being used and students are asked to come in small quarantine groups to help with social distancing.
“Those who attend the event are asked to stay within their quarantine groups,” Harris said.
No more than two families are allowed to merge together on campus. It is a first-come, first-served event and wristbands will be distributed to those who show up.
Hayden says that it is going to be hard to tell how many people are going to attend the event, but there will be areas sectioned off on the Comm lawn so that students can reserve their own space with their friends.
“There are going to be 12 blocked off squares on the Comm lawn so that students can reserve up to 15 people in their squared off area,” Hayden said.
Students can reserve a square patch of grass on-campus on 1 of 3 campus lawns: the Old Main lawn, the Comm lawn and the PAC Plaza for up to 15 students and no more than 2 households to hang out.
Roughly 150 students will be able to stay in the sectioned areas, while the other half of the lawn areas will be used for recreational activities such as cornhole, photo booths and an art gallery of quarantine confessions that people can walk through
“One of the first 200 people to RSVP and donate a bag of clothes are able to win a free 2021 Lawnstock hat,” Hayden said.
Students are able to register off-campus Lawnstock locations using the WIN event and earn free giveaway items.
“Within a 5 mile radius we will have a mobile where we can drive around and give out free packaged stuff. We are hoping to have things like popsicles and wrapped ice cream,” Hayden said
Second-year Western student Montgomery Meeds said that with not everyone vaccinated yet, it might not be the right time to put on such a large event.
“In general, it’s probably not a great time to be throwing a festival,” Meeds said. “Although, sectioning off small areas is a good way to distance everyone and being able to stay in your dorm is also a good idea.”
AS Productions will be releasing more information to students by email and Instagram.
“We are just excited to be able to showcase all the great music [that] people will love,” Hayden said.
Lingo says this event is the beginning of some positive changes regarding our community.
“Based on the decisions made regarding online courses, vaccination requirements and suspension of extra curricular events I believe that the proper precautions have been considered for this event to go on,” Lingo said. “At a time where [the Centers for Disease Control] is beginning to allow people who are fully vaccinated to remove masks I think that we will start to see more and more events make a return.”
Crystal Tucker, reporter for The Front, is a second-year Western student, aiming to be a Public Relations major. Crystal has always had a passion for Journalism. Throughout high school, she was a part of her school paper at Sehome High School. When not working on schoolwork, Crystal works as a cashier at Lakeway Fred Meyer. To contact Crystal, please reach her on her school email at tuckerc7@wwu.edu.
Crystal Tucker, reporter for The Front, is a third-year Western student, aiming to be a Public Relations major. Crystal has always had a passion for Journalism. Throughout high school, she was a part of her school paper at Sehome High School. To contact Crystal, please reach her on her school email at tuckerc7@wwu.edu.
