Athens Mayor Paul Wiehl had one reminder for citizens and Ohio University students: stay safe during Fest Season.
Although it’s still relatively early, Athens Mayor Paul Wiehl said during Wednesday’s press conference there haven’t been many reports of excessive rowdiness from last Saturday’s Mill Fest.
“It’s the first of a series (of parties),” Wiehl said. “It’s still early in the season.”
Police said the turnout for Mill Fest was a “big increase,” and arrests by Ohio University Police Department and Athens Police Department were up to 39 from 29 the year before, according to previous Post articles.
Yet, some students still said they enjoyed Mill Fest because it did not get shut down until 6 p.m.
“Well, my close girlfriends live at 117 Mill so they had our friend DJ and it was a lot of fun,” said Nora Lydon, a junior studying communication studies. “They had two kegs and that’s what I did.”
Wiehl said he was relatively surprised by the number of attendees during Mill Fest, but didn’t find the festivities to be an extreme danger to anyone partying on the streets and doesn’t expect High Fest to be any more or less disruptive than the other planned fests, such as Palmer Fest, which will take place Saturday, Mar. 29.
“High Fest has been pretty mellow in the past,” he said. “I think a lot will depend on the weather. It’s not (usually) as warm as last week, so I don’t know about Saturday.”
Another OU student said she does not expect High Fest to be out of hand.
“Depending on the weather, I’m sure if it’s nice it will be crazier,” said Gabriella Marrison, a junior studying communications. “High Fest to me is usually the tamest out of all of them.”
Wiehl also touched on how there weren’t too many reports of vandalism. However, he did say he was concerned with the amount of the litter that accumulates.
There were also concerns with the amount of money the city spends on safety during fest season.
Wiehl said that Athens had spent an estimated $50,000 across various departments during the fests in spring 2013.
“It’s a little disconcerting when that money could’ve been used elsewhere for the city. It’s always looked to be used elsewhere,” he added.
Lydon said she is one of many students who are planning on attending High Fest on Saturday.
“I don’t know anyone that lives on High Street this year, so I’m hoping to run into friends, which I always do,” she said. “(I) will still have a good time.”
Marrison said she isn’t sure if she will be attending High Fest yet. However, she advises other students to know their rights and keep safe.
“Make sure to bring water and to make sure you don’t get dehydrated,” she said. “Stay behind the sidewalks and ask before you pet the horses.”
@hannahmyang
hy135010@ohiou.edu
