With over 1,600 tickets sold prior to the event and hundreds of tickets sold the day of the show, FEST:2 proved to be a massive success for Marshall University Campus Activities Board.

The national and local acts kept the crowds going from 3pm to 11pm. Fan interaction was expressed during the show as the artists played fan favorites and some of their most recent tracks.

The main stage acts included Ryan Cabrera, We The Kings, Huey Mack, Chanel West Coast and the headliners, 3OH!3. Local acts A Story Told, Ona and The Company Stores kept a Huntington hometown feel as they earned new fans and were praised by their long time supporters.

“FEST:2 was extraordinary!” Kelsie Tyson, a junior photography major who photographed the show said. “Being a part of the local music scene, it was insane to watch my friends open for national acts! I love the boost it gave to our community and music scene and hope to see the next Fest be even bigger and better.”

Autumn Vallandingham, Fest intern and junior photography major said she was extremely proud of the event.

“FEST:2 was such a great success and it wouldn’t have been one without our team,” Vallandingham said. “I enjoyed spending my summer working with everyone. I could not think Lee Tabor or Sarah Dyke enough for giving me a kick start to my career in the music industry.”

During the end of the show, 3OH! brought the entire FEST team to the stage to thank them for their hard work and also let the team and the other artist join them on stage for their encore song and hit single “Don’t Trust Me” where they all danced and sung along.

FEST:2 ended up being the exact opposite of its previous event by showing its bigger artists, better weather and bigger venue. Multiple vendors such as The Village on Sixth, Marcos and more supported the event and gained exposure as well and handed out items for the festival attendees.

Zachary Hill, senior public health major who previously commented that he didn’t have strong expectations for the event said he was proven wrong.

“FEST:2 was so much fun,” Hill said. “My friends convinced me to go and i’m so glad I did. I had fun just hanging out and meeting more people around the community. The local talents had a lot of talent and they had to have gotten a lot of exposure because there was so many people there.”

With the proven success of FEST:2, there is a high expectation for a FEST:3.

Desmond Groves can be contacted at [email protected]