This past Sunday, April 27, Union College woke up to a grand stage set up on West Beach for the annual Springfest concert. The event also welcomed the first white tents of the season—considered across campus the unofficial sign that spring has finally arrived. One of the most anticipated events of the spring term, Springfest is arguably the biggest pop culture event of the year at Union.
While the rain and wind made for less-than-ideal weather conditions, they didn’t stop students from dressing up in their favorite outfits and soaking up the fun.
The Springfest lineup continues to be one of the best-kept secrets on campus, typically not revealed until just two or three days before the event. In past years, Union has hosted renowned artists like Charli XCX, Anne-Marie, 24kGoldn, and DNCE during the peaks of their musical careers.
This year, the headliner reveal was especially creative: students received mustard packets with the name of DJ and record producer Dijon Isaiah McFarlane—better known by his stage name, Mustard—printed in bold letters. The packet also listed the other performers on the lineup: hip-hop duo MKTO and singer Leah Kate.
“I was kinda nervous at first because I had no idea what it would be like, since it was at a random noon on a Sunday,” said first year Chase Nelson. “But it was so much fun, especially Mustard’s set—getting to hear all the hits he’s produced was so special.”
DJ Mustard, known for collaborations with Kendrick Lamar, Rihanna, Travis Scott, and Drake, delivered a captivating performance filled with familiar tracks from everyone’s childhoods. From hits like “Fein” and “Not Like Us” to “Plain Jane” and the nostalgic “Party in the U.S.A.”, his set lived up to the hype people were expecting to see.
“It was so much fun to scream the lyrics of every song played,” expressed senior Vaishali Srinivasan. “He played old-time classics, new hits, and had them coming at us back to back to back. He was the best artist to end these incredible four years of Springfest,” she added as she got emotional about her last Springfest at Union
MKTO’s performance received equally enthusiastic reactions. Sophomore Prakriti Pradhan shared a core memory associated with the band, “I remember first hearing MKTO’s ‘American Dream’ on my 2016 school trip, and we blasted that song on loop. I got a rush of nostalgia hearing it performed live!”
Sophomore Paige Fox added, “As soon as they walked out on stage it felt like a fever dream. It didn’t feel real seeing them perform after so many years.”
Many students barely made it to the venue in time to catch Leah Kate, who kicked off the day’s lineup. “I made it just as Leah was asking someone about their ex and calling them out through her viral song ‘10 Things I Hate About You,’” said freshman Narayani Yogi. “I thought that was iconic, to say the least.”
Overall, this year’s Springfest exceeded expectations—not just because of the artists, but also because of the energy and enthusiasm that radiated on campus due to their presence. Whether students were longtime fans or hearing the songs for the first time, everyone seemed to enjoy.
See the full photo group from this year’s Springfest at our photo collections page.
