College Town was established in 2003, when former Spartanburg mayor Bill Barnet decided
he wanted to do something to promote the unity of the student population in Spartanburg.
In his speech announcing the concept, Barnet articulated his mission for the idea
to the (then six) college presidents, As these institutions join forces to form the
College Town consortium, they greatly increase their opportunity to impact the 10,000
college students in our community as well as our community members. This is a wonderful
niche opportunity to advance the identity of Spartanburg as a vibrant college town
and develop a positive national image for both the colleges and our city.
The seven institutions that are members of the consortium are Converse College, Spartanburg
Community College, Sherman College of Chiropractic, Spartanburg Methodist College,
USC Upstate, VCOM and Wofford College. Through the consortium, a number of different
events are held every year, all of which are dedicated to the single goal of promoting
a unified Spartanburg community. Amidst all that the College Town Consortium does,
the College Town festival attracts many students from the seven institutions.
For this year s event, downtown Spartanburg will serve as the venue, where DJ Spin
will begin playing his Musical Roulette promptly at 8:00 pm. Free t-shirts will be
given to the first 200 students present at the event. Two food tickets will be given
to every student with a student ID from one of the seven colleges listed, allowing
them to choose two food items from local businesses such as Nacho Taco, Dottie s Toffee,
Suga Cakes and Wild Ace. The tickets will operate on a first served basis but students
should come prepared to eat free local food, listen to great music and hang out with
other students who also call Spartanburg their home.
Bringing students from all seven colleges into the downtown area together creates
a unique and diverse atmosphere. Having this mixture of students together in the center
of the city makes for an energizing night, says Naomi Sargant, director of the College
Town consortium. We want to encourage students to go downtown and explore the city
itself. College Fest is a great opportunity for new students to get an idea of what
the area is all about.