Droverstock is a chalk art and live music festival that has been a staple of Drover tradition for years. Combining a chalk art festival, food trucks, and live bands playing throughout the day, it has historically been one of the most popular events USAO has to offer. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, the festival has not happened since the spring of 2019. This year, seniors Delaney Medcalf and Abigail Davis are excited to kick off the next Droverstock and reinstate the tradition that has been put on hold. 

Delaney and Abigail are the co-presidents of Droverstock and are beginning to finalize the details for this year. According to Delaney, planning usually begins the summer before and runs right into the week of the festival, and buzz for the festival is ramping up. “We just want people to come out and support,” Abigail said. Delaney added, “We are expected to function at this extremely high level, and coming out of the pandemic makes that so hard, so being able to have a day to enjoy what college is supposed to feel like is exciting.” 

Delaney and Abigail both joined the Droverstock committee in the spring of 2020, but before any of their plans were finalized, Covid-19 hit, and the campus was shut down. This has made planning this year’s festival a unique challenge. Abigail has never been to Droverstock and Delaney has only attended one time as a high schooler. This means they have no reference point to look towards, but it also allows them creative liberty in their planning process.

One unique challenge that Covid has caused is the availability of bands and food trucks. Many small businesses have been hit hard by the pandemic which makes getting food vendors difficult. The businesses that have not been forced to close are running at limited capacity and are already stretched thin. The same can be said about local bands. This has been a big obstacle, but Delaney and Abigail have been slowly overcoming it and are extremely hopeful about this year’s festival. They have already locked in several bands to come and play and have a broad selection of food trucks, including a loaded tater tot stand. 

Despite all the challenges, this year’s Droverstock is shaping up to be one of the best yet. With a broad range of music, food selection, chalk art, and fun, Science and Art’s students are in for a treat. If you would like to volunteer on the day of or receive more information about how you can join the Droverstock committee, contact the Student Activities Board at usao-sab@usao.edu. Volunteers will receive a free t-shirt.