Looking for something to do on a Saturday night, but don’t want to leave campus? On Saturday, a capella groups, dancers, caricaturists, henna artists, balloon artists and more will be at Árbol de la Vida Residence Hall for its annual event, Carnivida. Not convinced? Everything is free — even the food — with a valid CatCard.

Carnivida is a campuswide event put on by the Árbol de la Vida hall council, along with the Honors Student Council and Residence Hall Association.

“This event integrates the theme of Mardi Gras and Carnival, with a twist of Wildcat pride,” said Sho Tanighuchi, the graduate community director at Árbol de la Vida.

The event is open to all current UA students, whether they live in the residence hall or not.

“The main purpose is to bring the entire UA community closer together,” said Rafael Ablao, a pre-physiology sophomore and marketing representative for the Árbol de la Vida hall council. “We want to bring everyone together, and make it a more inclusive event.”

Although the event is free, Ablao mentioned that they will be accepting canned foods at the event to go to Campus Pantry.

“The event is made to promote cultural awareness, diversity and sustainability,” Tanaguchi said. “While having a fun time, all in one night.”

Every program put on by residence halls throughout the year generally brings overarching themes such as these into light. For instance, Diva la Paz was about different social groups and acceptance.

Ablao added that the hall council has been working on this event since October because it is one of the largest events put on by a residence hall. In fact, last year, Carnivida attracted around 600 students to the program. This year will be the fourth-annual Carnivida, and the event has continued to grow in reputation and size each year.

The acts and artists who will be present at the event range from fortune tellers to balloon artists to dance groups.

“We found all the people ourselves,” Ablao said, “mostly with the help of resident assistants and students who had attended Carnivida in previous years and had connections with the performers who were there.”

Specific groups performing throughout the night include the Charles Darwin Experience and Amplified A Capella, one of the a capella groups on campus. 

Carnivida 2015 will take place Saturday at Árbol de la Vida from 8 p.m. to midnight. All students are welcome, as long as they present a valid CatCard upon entry. There is no entry fee, but attendees are encouraged to bring canned food items to be donated to Campus Pantry.

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