On a day when the weather was cooperative before ultimately becoming belligerent, nearly 2,000 people crossed the threshold of Sparty’s Spring Party 2010 on Saturday at Demonstration Field to participate in giveaways and carnival-like fare.
The annual event — now in its ninth year — was sponsored by MSU’s University Activities Board, or UAB, Student Alumni Foundation, or SAF, and ASMSU.
Attendees were able to partake in free events, such as a climbing wall, mechanical bull riding and an obstacle course, as well as taste free samples from area businesses, including Buffalo Wild Wings, Jimmy John’s and Così, said Katie Nye, special events coordinator for UAB.
ASMSU, MSU’s undergraduate student government, budgeted $15,000 for the second day of the event — Sunday’s Cobra Starship concert in the MSU Auditorium, Student Assembly Chairperson Eric Branoff said.
Nye said the majority of the partygoers passed through before the on-and-off drizzle turned into a downpour at about 5 p.m. The weather has been pleasant most years, but this year and last year’s event turned into rain-drenched affairs, Nye said.
“Tradition has typically seen it scheduled on Demonstration Field with a concert later at night,” Nye said. “This year, we chose the auditorium so we didn’t get rained out.”
A number of individuals in the crowd wore the jersey of their favorite MSU football players — a detail Nye said was not a coincidence.
“The amount of people we usually get varies depending on how many people attend the Green and White game,” Nye said.
The Spartans’ Spring Game ended at about 3:30 p.m., which allowed fans time to explore Demonstration Field.
Owosso resident Andrew Leverett, 40, said despite the cool weather, the conditions were better than last year.
Leverett, who was there with his wife and her nephew, said he regularly attends the event in conjunction with the spring football game.
“It was rainy last year,” Leverett said. “I think a lot more people might have turned out if it was as nice as it was earlier this week; it just feels colder today.”
Business administration graduate student Garret Slank said he and his friends walked to the event after seeing tents set up on the field. Slank, along with three of his friends, was dressed in a banana suit and said he was on his way to jump in the Red Cedar River.
“We came out for the spring football game because you have to support the team,” Slank said. “If there was not a game today we probably would not be here.”
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