It’s finally here! The day that all Northwestern students look forward to throughout the year: Dillo Day. One of the largest student-run festivals in America takes place right on our lakefill. Mayfest, the student organization in charge of organizing Dillo, spent the whole year coordinating hundreds of people involved in many different aspects, from logistics to artists and stage set up. These students work like a professional production team, and they are the ones in charge of making sure that Dillo runs smoothly and without any inconvenience every year. As for the rest of us, our task is much simpler: have fun with our fellow Wildcats.

A typical Dillo day starts bright and early, with people gathering for early breakfast/brunch starting at about 8 or 9 am. Students then head over to the Lakefill to enjoy the music and the food trucks. This year, seven of the most popular restaurants in Evanston will be on the Lakefill serving everything from grilled cheese to Venezuelan food.

This year our headliner, Young the Giant, and other artists, such as Daniel Caesar and Joey Bada$$, promise to make every student at Northwestern enjoy their Dillo to the fullest. However, more important than the show and all the other activities that take place on the Lakefill throughout the day, is the fact that Dillo is a day that brings the Northwestern community together. Friends from all schools and all grades share an experience that is unique and that many alumni remember dearly once they graduate from Northwestern.

In my three years as an undergraduate student at Northwestern, Dillo has been one of the best memories that I’ve had so far. It’s a special day where the whole campus transforms into a big celebration of everything that we have accomplished throughout the year (surviving winter is not easy). It also marks for the final week of the quarter before exams, so a bit of fun before those library nights is necessary.

Dillo is truly a day made for students and I can assure you that studentsat Northwestern enjoys this day like no other day in the year. It’s a day that we all look forward too and I am sure that it’s occasions like this that make the best memories for the future.

Happy Dillo!

(Photo credit: Colin Boyle/Daily Senior Staffer)