Spring Break begins with Dixie Fest 5-hour extravaganza; STGnews Photo Gallery

Written by Kimberly Scott
March 9, 2014

ST. GEORGE – The largely young-adult crowd didn’t skip a beat joining in with Brooklyn-based rock band American Authors, singing along with their No. 1 hit song “Best Day of My Life” Friday night. It was Dixie Fest 2014 held at the Ridgetop Complex in St. George and, except for one casualty when a young woman was injured as a crowd-surfer fell on top of her, the week’s opener virtually resounded a message over the city loud and colorful and clear: Spring Break is here.

American Authors perform at Dixie Fest 2014, St. George, Utah, March 8, 2014 | Photo by Corey McNeil, St. George News
American Authors perform at Dixie Fest 2014, St. George, Utah, March 8, 2014 | Photo by Corey McNeil, St. George News

The fest, sponsored by the Dixie State University Student Association in cooperation with the City of St. George, opened with a BMX biking pre-show, break dancers, an aerialist, tucked in the main event American Authors, and ended in a massive paint fight that went on for hours.

Halfway through American Author’s second song, “Luck,” power to the band’s mics failed. Undaunted, they seized the opportunity to warm up to the crowd with lead singer Zac Barnett hopping off the stage and into the audience where many eager hands reached out for a memorable hand-squeeze with the star.

The band gave “Luck” a second shot and the technical difficulties happened again. In fact, glitches continued to plague the performance for a time, but the band contended with them well and the concert gained momentum as they were resolved.

During the Authors’ final performance, medical emergency crews responded to the event as one girl sustained injuries when a fan who was crowd-surfing fell on top of her, knocking her down and causing her to hit her head on the black top. She was transported to Dixie Regional Medical Center in St. George.

Though the American Authors one-hour performance ended, the Dixie Fest continued for another three hours of wet and raucous melée. A DJ rocked house music through the air and the crowd indulged in a massive paint fight. Squirt guns filled with nontoxic, UV paint were divvied out and the audience was showered and blasted and drenched in colorful, glow-in-the dark paint as temperatures dropped to 50 degrees and below at its lowest, according to AccuWeather.com, adding shivers to the drenched and fabulous fluorescent fest.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kimberly Scott is a lifetime resident of Southern Utah. In 2013, Kimberly joined St. George News as a vital member of its editing, reporting and administrative team. She is passionate about engaging communities through writing and is dedicated to providing complete and accurate coverage of both anticipated and breaking news.

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