New Exhibit: Frontier Fiesta

A UH tradition, Frontier Fiesta began in 1940 as a mishmash of musical and theatrical performances, cook-offs, carnival booths, and concessions. - See more at: http://weblogs.lib.uh.edu/?p=3494&preview=true#sthash.diOrIIQQ.dpuf

A UH tradition, Frontier Fiesta began in 1940 as a mishmash of musical and theatrical performances, cook-offs, carnival booths, and concessions.

A new exhibit at the University of Houston Libraries highlights Frontier Fiesta.

A UH tradition, Frontier Fiesta began in 1940 as a mishmash of musical and theatrical performances, cook-offs, carnival booths, and concessions. Held in the spring, Fiesta volunteers transform a piece of land on campus into a western frontier-style town called Fiesta City.

The first two Fiestas, held in 1940 and 1941, were interrupted by World War II and suspended from 1942 to 1945. Reestablished in 1946, it ran until 1959. The festival was reinstated again for its third run in 1992 and continues today. The early Fiestas raised money to address campus needs, such as a student recreation center or swimming pool. For most of its duration, and to date, proceeds from the festival have funded scholarships for entering freshman and current students.

In the early 1950s, Life magazine proclaimed Fiesta the “Greatest College Show on Earth.” And during its second run, the event grew to its greatest popularity. During its heyday, Frontier Fiesta attracted as many as 100,000 people to the UH campus, including celebrities and visitors from all over the nation, including Ed Sullivan, Kenny Rogers, and Humphrey Bogart, to name a few.

The first two Fiestas, held in 1940 and 1941, were interrupted by World War II and suspended from 1942 to 1945.

The first two Fiestas, held in 1940 and 1941, were interrupted by World War II and suspended from 1942 to 1945.

The exhibit includes programs, photographs, and other materials documenting the three runs of what once was known as the greatest college show on earth, and will run March 21 – March 28, 2016 in the MD Anderson Library on the second floor in front of Special Collections.

For more information, contact Mary Manning.

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Posted on February 26th, 2016 by Esmeralda Fisher and filed under Announcements | Comments Off on New Exhibit: Frontier Fiesta