This Friday, St. Edwards University will host the 12th annual Hillfest to welcome new students to the Hilltopper community.

Hillfest is one of the most popular events presented by the University Programming Board. Hillfest will be located on Holy Cross Lawn, which is on the right side of the Main Building, and will last from 6-9 p.m.

What to Listen For

Three exciting bands will be performing for the Hilltoppers Friday night.

Sons of Santos are a local duo of brothers that perform acoustic music with instruments including the cello, guitars and a glockenspiel. They are especially known for their covers of songs like Britney Spears’ “Toxic.”

Hillfest’s other performaners comes from San Antonio. These boys are an indie pop quartet called Wild Party. While they are mostly known for their hit “When I Get Older,” they also claim their guitarist kissed Lindsay Lohan when he was 17.

The final artist performing at Hillfest is another locally grown musician, Drew Fish of the Drew Fish Band. He performs country music at multiple venues downtown.

What to Eat

A lot of local food will be sponsoring Hillfest this year including South Austin favorites Cabo Bob’s and Southside Flying Pizza. Also, look out for Torchy’s Tacos and pulled pork sandwiches from Hog Wild.

Other vendors include Chick-Fil-A and Frito Pies from Bon Appetit. On the desert menu is Amy’s Ice Cream and Jim Jim’s Water Ice.

What to Do



Besides the live concerts on the lawn, Hillfest also brings you games and rides to keep you entertained. This year the Hill will host Laser Tag, an Inflatable Obstacle course, Swing Ride, and the Carnival Game Trailer. 

One of the benefits of having a student ID includes an entry in the raffling of a Go-Pro Camera.

Due to the drought, Hillfest sadly will not be able to include fireworks.

Don’t Forget

Admission is free along with a Hillfest tee and an entry in the raffle as long as you bring your student ID. Guests, staff and Alumni may also attend.

If you’d like to volunteer for Hillfest, the University Programming Board is still searching. Go here. All volunteers are guaranteed a shirt and are entered into a raffle for a Kindle Fire HD.