UTSA celebrated their 36th annual Best Fest this past homecoming weekend the Convocation Center lawn and parking lot.

UTSA’s bestsellers’ theme paid homage to the bestselling items sold at major Texas festivals and fairs. The event began with the Rowdy Rally before their game against FIU the following day. Best Fest offered activities for students and faculty from carnival rides, live performances, a fireworks display, a golf cart parade and student organization booths.

The event was a success due to a large turnout with student organizations arriving early to prepare their booths. From Hufflepuff to Hunger Games themes, students added their own creative flair to attract customers. The booths’ visual appeal, coupled with various menu items, contributed to Best Fest’ success.

Pre-physical Therapy Society member, Marissa Mario, shared “We are selling chicken nuggets today. It took us about two and a half hours to set up and we’ve had a pretty good number of our members coming rotating in and out. So far we are having a lot of fun.”

VIP Gospel Choir member Jasmine Gatlin added, “We’re selling funnel cakes with chocolate, strawberry preserves, whipped cream, and powdered sugar.”

The Filipino Student Association (FSA) sold pork and vegetable dumplings wrapped around a rice paper which garnered much attention. Voices (Volunteer Organization Involved in Community Education and Service) member Latisha Maxwell explained “It took about an hour just because we had to prepare the ground beef and beans and just make sure everything was passed through the health inspection. We are selling tostadas, so we do the refried beans first and then we do the meat. You can then add the meat, cheese, lettuce, salsa or sour cream for only $2.” The affordable food prices also drew a considerable amount of attention. The Secular Student Alliance (SSA) sold virgin margaritas for $3, while the Men of Honor (MOH) served innexpensive plates of catfish.

Best Fest increased student involvement and rowdy pride before Saturday’s big game while providing students with an eventful weekend.