A harbinger of spring returns to the University of Arizona campus this weekend, to the delight of some and the dismay of others.
Spring Fling, the student-run fundraising carnival that’s been held at a local racetrack for the last 15 years, is back at its original home on the UA Mall to mark the event’s 40th anniversary year.
For many, the return to campus is cause for jubilation.
“We’re celebrating a great UA tradition at the place where it all began,” student body president Morgan Abraham said of the spectacle, expected to draw about 25,000 students, alumni and Tucson residents.
“It’s a lot of tradition and a lot of heritage,” enthused Jared Young, executive director of this year’s event.
It’s also been a headache for those who live nearby said Bill Craig,a board member with the Sam Hughes Neighborhood Association.
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Residents of the historic area pushed for years to have Spring Fling moved off-campus and were relieved when UA opted in 1999 to relocate it to Rillito Downs, he said.
Before that, homeowners were subjected to thefts and vandalism, blocked driveways, late-night noise and carnival-goers urinating in their yards, Craig said.
Abraham, the student body president, said great efforts were taken to reduce the potential impact on neighbors this year.
The event will be somewhat smaller than in the past, with rides and attractions that generate less noise, he said.
Signs will discourage parking on side streets and will steer drivers to free parking on campus, which should help keep human and vehicle traffic on UA property, he said.
Spring Fling also has a reduced schedule this year: It runs for three days instead of four, and closes an hour earlier each night, at 11 p.m. instead of midnight.
Volunteers also will conduct daily patrols in surrounding neighborhoods to pick up any windblown trash.
“I feel very confident that this will be an event we can all be proud of,” Abraham said.
Spring Fling typically raises tens of thousands of dollars a year for dozens of UA student organizations. More than $61,000 was raised last year.
