As the academic year wraps up, Coby Potischman covered the 51st annual Dillo Day, its performers and what the event means to Northwestern students.
Story by Coby Potischman and photos by Micah Sandy.
[NARRATION] 12,000 PEOPLE CONGREGATED ON THE LAKEFILL ON SATURDAY FOR DILLO DAY, THE LARGEST STUDENT-RUN FESTIVAL IN THE NATION. THIS SPACE-THEMED ITERATION MARKED THE 51ST TIME THAT THE EVENT HAS BEEN HELD, AND THE CULMINATION OF A TUMULTUOUS YEAR OF WORK BY STUDENT ORG MAYFEST PRODUCTIONS.
FOR ATTENDEES LIKE SESP FRESHMAN EMMA MANLEY, IT’S A KEY NORTHWESTERN INSTITUTION.
[EMMA MANLEY] I FEEL LIKE IT’S JUST ONE OF THOSE NORTHWESTERN THINGS YOU’VE GOTTA DO.
[NARRATION] BIENEN FRESHMEN MADDIE ZUCKERMAN AND HENRY HERBERT ECHO THE SAME.
[HENRY HERBERT] FUN! IT MEANS FUN! IT MEANS FAMILY.
MADDY ZUCKERMAN: DILLO MEANS FREEDOM. DILLO MEANS REAL NORTHWESTERN.
[NARRATION] THE VARIETY OF PERFORMERS INCLUDED BOTH STUDENT GROUPS AND MAINSTREAM ARTISTS, INCLUDING RAPPER AND HEADLINER OFFSET.
[ZUCKERMAN] WE ARE ENJOYING MUSE ETC., OUR FAVORITE BAND ON CAMPUS. OUR FRIENDS ARE IN IT: JEREMY BERKUN AND ALEX NEUSER.
[NARRATION] ZUCKERMAN, AS WELL AS WEINBERG FRESHMAN MILES AZUMA-HALL AND MEDILL FRESHMAN BEATRICE VILLAFLOOR, WERE EXCITED FOR THE ENTIRE LINEUP.
[MILES AZUMA-HALL] I’M EXCITED TO SEE RINI, A FILIPINO ARTIST. IT’S GONNA BE REALLY GOOD.
[ZUCKERMAN] I AM EXCITED TO SEE BRISTON MARONEY!
[NARRATION] IT WASN’T JUST NORTHWESTERN STUDENTS, THOUGH. UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO JUNIOR MITCH ROBSON WAS EXCITED TO ATTEND DILLO FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS YEAR.
[MITCH ROBSON] I’VE NEVER BEEN. I’VE HEARD GREAT THINGS ABOUT IT. I LIKE OFFSET.
[NARRATION] SEVERAL FOOD VENDORS CAME TO THE LAKEFILL FOR THE DAY, INCLUDING AN ICE CREAM CART, HOT DOG STAND, AND FIVE FOOD TRUCKS, OFFERING EVERYTHING FROM BARBECUE TO GRILLED CHEESE TO EMPANADAS AND FRIED CHICKEN.
GRADUATING WEINBERG SENIOR SPENCER PAIGE WAS EXCITED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE
[SPENCER PAIGE] YOU KNOW, THE FOOD TRUCKS WERE REALLY NICE. GOT SOME BRISKET, YOU KNOW A BRISKET MAC BOWL FROM SOUL AND SMOKE AND THEN A LOT OF FOOD FROM HAROLD’S, THAT WAS SICK. THE MUSIC’S BEEN GOOD, SAW THE DJ SET, THAT WAS AWESOME, AND LOOKING FORWARD TO OFFSET. THAT SHOULD BE PRETTY HYPE.
[NARRATION] FOR MANY, IT WAS A DAY TO UNWIND AMIDST THE INTENSITY OF THEIR CLASSES.
[ZUCKERMAN] DILLO MEANS A MOMENT OF RELEASE FROM THE STRESS OF STUDYING FOR FINALS AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
[MANLEY] I MEAN LIKE LOWKEY I HAVE SOMETHING DUE TOMORROW AT NOON. SO THAT’S ROUGH.
[ROBSON] YEAH I GOT FINALS WEEK A WEEK EARLIER THAN NORTHWESTERN KIDS, SO I’M JUST TRYING TO HAVE SOME FUN BEFORE IT’S GRIND TIME TOMORROW.
[NARRATION] STUDENTS LIKE PAIGE ALSO SEE IT AS A PRETTY UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE NORTHWESTERN COMMUNITY AND THE BROADER PEOPLE OF EVANSTON TO COME TOGETHER.
[PAIGE] I THINK DILLO’S COOL BECAUSE I DON’T THINK THERE’S ANYTHING ELSE LIKE IT ANYWHERE IN GENERAL. IT’S PRETTY RARE TO SEE THAT MANY PEOPLE IN THE STREETS OF EVANSTON HAVING FUN. I WALKED DOWN MAPLE AVE TODAY AND JUST PEOPLE ARE OUT, EVEN PEOPLE WHO AREN’T AFFILIATED WITH THE UNIVERSITY, JUST LOCAL RESIDENTS ARE OUT, AND I THINK THAT’S A GOOD TIME IN GENERAL.
[NARRATION] RETAIL VENDORS INCLUDED CROSSROADS, A CLOTHING EXCHANGE IN DOWNTOWN EVANSTON THAT SOLD APPAREL FROM THEIR POP-UP STAND ON THE LAKEFILL.
[CROSSROADS STAFF] YEAH IT’S NICE TO SEE EVERYONE OUT. EVERYONE’S HAVING SO MUCH TIME AND I LOVE THE OUTFITS, THE ALIEN THEME. YEAH THE STYLE’S DEFINITELY GREAT. I THINK HAVING THIS VIEW ALSO IS AMAZING. SO PROPS TO WHOEVER SET THIS UP. GREAT JOB, NORTHWESTERN!
[NARRATION] SOON-TO-BE-INAUGURATED NORTHWESTERN PRESIDENT MICHAEL SCHILL WAS SIMILARLY THRILLED TO SEE THE FESTIVAL UNFOLD.
[MICHAEL SCHILL] I JUST LOVE WATCHING ALL OF THE STUDENTS AND FOLKS IN TOWN JOIN TOGETHER IN SOMETHING THAT IS REALLY EXCITING AND FUN. THE STUDENTS ARE DOING AN AMAZING JOB. THEY ORGANIZED EVERYTHING FROM THE SECURITY TO THE FOOD TO THE PRODUCTION. IT REALLY MAKES ME PROUD TO SEE ALL THE GREAT WORK THAT THEY’VE DONE.
[NARRATION] IT’S A PROCESS THAT IS EQUALLY EXHILARATING FOR THE STUDENT ORGANIZERS THEMSELVES, SUCH AS JUNIOR STUDENT CAT DUNCAN.
[CAT DUNCAN] YEAH SO I AM ONE OF THE CO-HEADS OF PROMOTIONS. AND THE PROMOTIONS COMMITTEE BASICALLY DESIGNS AND DISTRIBUTES ALL OF THE PROMOTIONAL AND MARKETING MATERIALS FOR DILLO DAY.
[NARRATION] SETTING UP DILLO WAS NO SIMPLE TASK. MAYFEST PRODUCTIONS IS AN ENTIRELY STUDENT-RUN ORGANIZATION AND IS TASKED WITH PLANNING EVERY ASPECT OF THE EVENT. IN AN OPEN LETTER PUBLISHED IN THE DAILY NORTHWESTERN, MAYFEST SAID THAT THE FUNDING THEY RECEIVED IN 2023 FROM THE NORTHWESTERN ADMINISTRATION HAD DRAMATICALLY DECLINED DESPITE INCREASING OPERATING COSTS.
[DUNCAN] BUILDING ON IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE WANTED TO MAKE BUT WITH A MORE LIMITED BUDGET WAS A VERY DIFFICULT PART OF IT. AND THEN ALSO BEING ABLE TO GET A LINEUP THAT’S REPRESENTATIVE OF THE CALIPER OF DILLO DAY PEOPLE HAVE COME TO EXPECT.
[NARRATION] BUT ON THE BIG DAY, ALL OF THE STRESS AND HARD WORK PAID OFF.
[DUNCAN] TiaCorine IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE ARTISTS AND SOMEONE I WAS REALLY EXCITED TO SEE IN THE LINEUP. AND AFTER HER SET, SHE JUST STAYED IN THE PIT THE WHOLE TIME BECAUSE SHE WAS SO INTERESTED IN WATCHING ALL OF THE OTHER ARTISTS, AND IT’S JUST SUCH A COOL THING WHERE THE ARTISTS AT THE FESTIVAL ARE SUCH A BIG FAN OF THE FESTIVAL ITSELF AND EVERYONE ELSE THERE THAT THEY VOLUNTARILY STAY AND WATCH IT, AND YOU GET TO STAND WITH THEM AND SEE THIS EXPERIENCE. SEEING OFFSET INTERACT WITH ALL THE STUDENTS WAS SO COOL, AND AFTER THE SHOW HE DROVE PAST ON HIS GOLF CART AND HE SMILED AT ALL OF US. IT WAS JUST VERY SWEET AND WE ALL FELT VERY SEEN.
[NARRATION] FOR WNUR NEWS, I’M COBY POTISCHMAN.
