Spring Fling organizers are preparing for the carnival’s fifth year back on the University of Arizona campus. With a history dating to 1974, the carnival gives students who produce the event a lot to live up to.
Spring Fling came from humble beginnings on Bear Down Field as a one-day fundraiser, but it has grown into the largest student-run carnival in the country.
There will no shortage of delicious fair food, from funnel cakes to nachos, zucchini fries to corn dogs, kettle corn to fried Oreos — all provided by student clubs at the University of Arizona.
Josler Tudisco, one of the carnival’s student directors, said the event evolves every year with the changing of the guard. Each year, the carnival leadership changes, allowing for fresh ideas and energy.
“It’s really an interesting dynamic because every year the entire vibe of the carnival shifts, not so much in the carnival itself but the people who put it on,” he said.
Avid Tucson cyclist Mike McKisson said the UA carnival shuts down one of the busiest bike paths in metro Tucson, forcing bicyclists to use main roads. But that doesn’t deter McKisson, who likes to bring his two kids to the event.
“My son will pick which way he wants to go when we ride through campus so he can see if they’re setting it up yet,” he said.
A UA student peeks his head in to check out the fare of the Chain Gang Junior Honorary's churros stand.
McKisson said that kids love Spring Fling, and they talk about it all year long in anticipation for the springtime carnival.
“We enjoy the value of it,” McKisson said. This year, an unlimited-ride wristband is $30.
Although the Spring Fling carnival was originally intended to live on campus as it does today, construction for the UA’s Manuel Pacheco Integrated Learning Center almost 20 years ago caused a temporary move to Rillito Park. Temporary turned into a decade before the carnival returned to campus in 2013.
Unlike other carnivals that have a complete full-time staff, Spring Fling is entirely produced by eight student directors from the Associated Students of the University of Arizona. Tudisco sees his job as an escape from his schoolwork.
“We’re all very close,” he said of the team. “It’s kind of like a family because you have to work together a lot and it’s very stressful. So it’s hard to balance sometimes, but it’s a priority.”
The hard work is worth doing because as a Tucson resident, he said he believes that Spring Fling is a staple in the city’s traditions.
Folks enjoyed the carnival experience at Spring Fling at Rillito Downs in 2013. The next year it moved back to the UA campus, and drew few complaints from neighbors.
“I remember being in sixth, seventh and eighth grade and getting dropped off by my mom with 20 bucks and going around Spring Fling,” he said. “I had one of my first dates there. It’s just something that is so ingrained in Tucson.”
As an event that brings in thousands of visitors each year, Spring Fling uses the platform to fundraise for the clubs that help operate the food and game booths, as well as the UA Campus Pantry, a resource where students in need can access quality food at no cost.
“It means a lot to the University of Arizona community and the students, as well, because all the money we make goes back into the clubs that help put it on,” Tudisco said. “So it’s a fundraiser for students as well as just a great cause.”
Riders enjoy a spin on G-Force during Spring Fling 2017 on the UA mall. Mike Christy / Arizona Daily Star
IF YOU GO
What: ASUA Spring Fling carnival.
When: 4 to 11 p.m. on Friday, April 13; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, April 14; and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, April 15.
Where: University of Arizona East Mall on the UA Campus.
Parking: Free parking is available on Saturday and Sunday in the Highland Avenue, Park Avenue, Main Gate and Tyndall Avenue garages. Parking is $5 in the Cherry Avenue, Sixth Street, Second Street and South Stadium garages, as well as in specified surface lots.
Admission and other costs: $5 to get it, free for children under 7 and students with a CatCard. Admission ends an hour before closing each day. Ride tickets are 10 for $5 and an unlimited ride wristband is $30.
Et cetera: Spring Fling has a clear bag policy this year, and some nearby roads will be closed during the three-day event. For details, visit springfling.arizona.edu
