By Mick Dillon / The Jambar
Whether around the Daniel H. Becker Family Fountain Commons outside Kilcawley Center or on Lincoln Avenue for a block-party style festival, Youngstown State University’s Penguin Productions continued to deliver with the success of another Fall Fire Fest on Oct. 1.
According to Caroline Capuzello, Penguin Productions promotions lead, over 550 people attended this year’s event on Lincoln Avenue.
The ongoing Kilcawley renovations meant Penguin Productions had to look elsewhere for this year’s Fall Fire Fest. The nearby Beeghly Amphitheater provided space for live performances, while student organizations set up tables on the blocked-off street for attendees to participate in activities.
Jack and the Cadavers headlined the festival with local artist Nick Aducci serving as the opening act. Fall crafts, pumpkin painting, a s’mores bar and a vintage clothing sale were included in the street activities.
Carolyn Jesko, adviser for Penguin Productions, started with the organization as a YSU student in 2013 during the festival’s inception. She said the event started as a way to celebrate homecoming and create a fall atmosphere on campus, and has undergone various changes through the years.
“Initially, [Fall Fire Fest] was a patch of grass over off of Grant Street, which is now a parking lot. So for a couple years, it stayed in that same location, and then last year was the first year we ended up moving it over to the fountain to try something new and appeal to the changing student interest,” Jesko said.
Usually, there’s a pep-rally portion of Fall Fire Fest, but Jesko said the Kilcawley renovations made Penguin Productions pivot to a more concert-focused event this year. Although the location change brought extra logistical challenges, Jesko said she’s happy with the outcome.
“The [Beeghly] Amphitheater is kind of an underutilized space on campus. That was big, having that built in amphitheater helps … the budget savings, so we don’t have to bring in a stage,” Jesko said. “There’s built-in seating, there’s power that’s accessible — I think it sounded great there. It was a really, really good fit, so in the future, we might consider that for other small performances or concert series.”
Talent for Fall Fire Fest is sourced by the Penguin Productions team, and events such as Federal Frenzy Face-Off help introduce the bands to YSU students. Capuzello said the organization wants students to have a say in who performs at the annual event.
“We have listening parties with our own team, and then in addition to our own team, we will post on social media,” Capuzello said. “We have events like Federal Frenzy Face-Off, where we market to the students to come in and watch the bands perform live, and they can vote on what artists they like the best, and then we can bring those in from there.”
Penguin Productions currently has around 20 members, but Jesko said applications will open soon for students interested in joining.
Students can follow YSU Pen Pro on Instagram, @ysupenpro, or visit ysu.edu for information on applications.