For the second semester in a row, Princeton’s lawn parties – held on Sunday – were greeted with sunshine, bright blue skies and temperatures ranging from 70 to 75 degrees. Students flocked to Robertson Hall to splash in the SPIA fountain, danced in front of the eateries along Prospect Ave. and gathered on Frist North Lawn to support this year’s guest artists.
Unlike other lawn parties, the Undergraduate Student Government (USG) Social Committee has decided to invite two headliners this fall, singer-songwriter Daya and rapper NLE Choppa, rather than sticking with the usual lineup of a single headliner and a student opener.
By selecting two artists, USG wanted to offer students a diverse range of music while staying within budget, Enzo Kho (senior ’26), USG social chair, told The Daily Princetonian last month.
Student band Oh S*** Look Out was originally scheduled to be the opening act, but last Friday USG and the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students (ODUS) put them in touch with the production company preparing the main stage to discuss the “logistical challenges” the company was facing. Kho said issues due to “delayed responses from some of the artist managements (of the headliners)” had prevented them from “fitting in another element.”
The student body had mixed feelings about this year’s format.
“I mean, I love Daya,” said Lily Gose ’25. “I think I had barely heard of him (NLE Choppa) before and then I listened to some of his songs and thought, cool.” She noted, however, that she prefers “relaxed artists.”
“I really like how they appeal to a lot of different musical tastes,” said Samantha Handwerk (Class of ’26). “There’s Daya and NLE Choppa, so there’s a wide selection where everyone can find something they like.”
After Daya finished her performance, the audience had to wait for NLE Choppa to come on stage. ODUS and USG had planned to end the two headliners’ performances at 4:50 p.m., but NLE Choppa did not come on stage until 4:17 p.m., when he was supposed to finish his performance. This delay frustrated the students and even caused some to leave the lawn before he performed.
“So far, the lawn parties have been good, apart from this little break,” Maaso Ortega (born 26) told the “Prince” around 4 p.m. and gave the day seven out of ten points. “I’m going home now and taking a nap,” he added.
For those who remained, the concert area ran out of water around 4:10 p.m. before NLE Choppa took the stage. Students were not allowed to bring their own liquids into the venue on the Frist North lawn.
Seven of Princeton’s eleven dining clubs hosted various musical guests between 1:00 and 2:30 p.m., giving students even more variety from the headliners. The Cap and Gown Club hosted two bands, The Broken Vinyls and Arcy Drive, earlier in the day, starting at 12:15 p.m. The Ivy Club, Colonial Club, Terrace Club, Tiger Inn, Tower Club and Cottage Club were also open for performances. The Cannon Dial Elm Club remained open but did not host a guest artist.
Students told The Prince they were pleasantly surprised by artists Laundry Day, Bipolar Sunshine and Tiffany Day, who performed at the Terrace, Tiger Inn and Colonial, respectively. “I had never heard of them (Laundry Day) before and I ended up really liking their music,” said Sicile Naddeo-Gjergji (Class of ’26).
Naddeo-Gjergji said she did not attend the lawn parties last spring as part of a pro-Palestinian boycott. The spring festivities coincided with the 21-day Gaza Solidarity Encampment sit-in. “It’s nice to be back after a long break and see everyone coming back together,” she said. As a senior, Naddeo-Gjergji also felt “a lot more relaxed because I know how to handle the workload at Princeton, and I’m giving myself some rest this year,” she said.
Looking ahead, students like Xaivian Lee (Year ’26) gave Prince suggestions for future Lawnparties performers they would like to see on stage. “I’m going to go against the grain here, I think they should get Dominic Fike for Lawnparties. I’m a huge fan,” he said. “I think that would be a great vibe, especially when it’s nice outside… something you could experience either in the crowd or sitting further back on the lawn.”
Kho told The Prince that the USG Social Committee was “very pleased and happy with how smoothly most things went throughout the day,” adding, “Although working with third parties and suppliers brings some challenges, we have successfully overcome them.”
Megan Cameron is a news editor at the Prince from New Windsor, NY
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