Tigerfest took place at the Westin River Walk Hotel on Oct 25. This year’s theme was Midnight in Paris.

“Tigerfest is an annual gala that Trinity holds, presented by the Student Programming Board (SPB). This year there will be be free food, dancing and a photo booth,” said Jamie Banks, traditions chair of the Student Programming Board and the main coordinator of the event.

Decorations, meant to create the atmosphere of romantic Paris, included string lights, mini Eiffel Towers and ornate street posts. The centerpiece was the 17-foot Eiffel Tower replica, with which many students took pictures.

“We really wanted to go for a more elegant, classy look for it,” said Carolyn Young, assistant traditions chair of SPB. The decorations and the rest of the event involved a lot of planning. Aside from decorations, SPB arranged for buses to pick up and drop off students, chose the hotel and theme and organized publicity for the event.

“It takes place normally around midterms so you can release, have fun. There’s free food and various things. It’s just a fun dance,” Young said. While Tigerfest has been known as Trinity’s homecoming dance in the past, it has evolved into more of a fall dance.

“I went with some friends and it was at a really nice hotel on the River Walk, we danced, and we had fun,” said sophomore Anna Butler of her experience last year.

Tigerfest has taken place at the same hotel for two years, and the facility has been very accommodating. Like many first years, Butler didn’t exactly know what it was until she got there.

“It’s something different than all the other Trinity events, so I would recommend students to go,” Butler said.

Banks and Young, along with other members of SPB, sold tickets in Coates the week before the dance and also gave away chocolate bars that provided the details of the event. They usually have an average turnout of around 500 people, but ticket sales were very successful this year, so they are expecting a lot more people.

Tigerfest is funded by SPB using the student activity fee that all students pay at the beginning of the year. The largest portion of the budget is used on the decorations and booking the hotel, which is at a prime location on the downtown River Walk.

“I’m so happy that Trinity has such wonderful traditions, and I hope students will come and enjoy,” Banks said.