(WVUToday will distribute a media advisory Monday, Aug. 19 with FallFest credentials and other logistics details. Read more about WVU’s 2019 Welcome Week.)
FallFest, West Virginia University’s 25th annual welcome-back-to-campus concert will be held Tuesday, Aug. 20, on the Evansdale Rec Fields adjacent to the Student Rec Center. This year’s performers are Louis the Child, Gucci Mane and Jon Bellion. Gates will open at 4 p.m. and the show will begin at 5 p.m. with Jon Bellion. Louis the Child will close the show which is expected to conclude at 9:30 p.m. FallFest is FREE and open to WVU Students only. Students must obtain and activate their Welcome Week Wristband BEFORE coming to FallFest.
On a mission to spread happiness while taking American dance music to the next level, the two wunderkinds of Louis the Child have been spreading glitzy, electronic bliss through stadium-ready anthems like “It’s Strange,” their collaboration with Icona Pop “Weekend,” and “Fire.” With more than 50 million Spotify streams, it’s obvious they are succeeding. Billboard calls their most recent release, “Love is Alive (featuring Elohim),” which really allows their versatility and emotional range to shine, “soft and soothing. Louis the Child’s set is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m.
Iconic Atlanta MC Gucci Mane is widely ranked among the most gifted rappers of his generation. Mane’s latest studio album “Delusions of Grandeur” set a record when it debuted at No. 2 on Billboard’s Top Rap Albums chart making it his 20th top 10. “Delusions of Grandeur” also debuted at No. 3 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and at No. 7 on the all-genre Billboard 200 chart. Mane’s first top 10 came in 2005 with his debut studio album “Trap House.” Gucci Mane is scheduled to take the stage at 6:30 p.m.
Singer, songwriter and producer Jon Bellion is redefining pop music. Bellion’s contemporary pop mixes R&B, hip-hop and indie rock for a genre-bending sound that catapulted his debut album, “The Human Condition” into the top five on Billboard’s Top 200 albums chart. Bellion is also known for penning the Eminem and Rihanna mega-hit “The Monster” and Jason Derulo’s “Trumpets. Jon Bellion will open the concert at 5 p.m.
FallFest is free to WVU students with valid Welcome Week Wristbands. Wristbands must be picked up and activated before coming to the concert. The Welcome Week Wristband Activation schedule can be found at welcomeweek.wvu.edu/events. Welcome Week Wristbands will be scanned at the gates. WVU Students with a valid Welcome Week Wristband are permitted one guest age 17 and older. WVU Students with guests may enter any gate. Guest tickets are not required, but guests should be prepared to show proof of age.
Gates will open at 4 p.m. and the concert is expected to conclude at 9:30 p.m. There are three gates – Gate A is located at the Rec Center Tennis Courts, Gate B is located at the Towers PRT station exit and Gate C is located on Rec Center Drive between the Student Rec Center and the CPASS building.
Buses will run continuously between the Mountainlair and the Braxton Tower portico from 4 p.m. until 11 p.m. The PRT will run until midnight. If you are using Uber, Lyft or Motown Taxi for transportation, drop-off and pickup will be at the intersection of Morrill Way and Rec Center Drive near WVU Short Term Lot ST1. Free parking will be available beginning at 3 p.m. in WVU Short Term Lot ST9 across from the Art Museum and in WVU Short Term Lot ST1 off Patteson Drive.
This is an alcohol-free event. Concert-goers should note that no smoking will be permitted in accordance with WVU’s tobacco-free campus policy. No purses, backpacks, or bags will be permitted inside the FallFest gates. Wristlets must measure no larger than 9.5” x 4.25.” Concert-goers who must carry medical supplies must do so in a clear bag that does not exceed 12” x 6” x 12.” Glow sticks and selfie sticks are also prohibited. As an additional safety measure, all concert-goers will be subject to a random security check and wanding before entering the gates.
FallFest is a rain-or-shine event and is produced by WVU Arts & Entertainment. For additional event information, call 304.293.SHOW (7469) or visit events.wvu.edu. Stay connected with the latest event updates on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram by following @wvuevents.
