Despite bitter cold and persistent rain, the Second Annual Late Nite Carnival drew a crowd of roughly 2,000 people on Friday, Late Nite Co-Director Sarah Shelton said.
"Turnout was great despite the weather," she said. "The rides ran up to about the last hour."
Shelton said only two rides were out of commission for the evening because of the weather.
"You can't fix it," Shelton said. "You have to go with whatever weather gets thrown at you."
Shelton said the UPB opted out of rescheduling the event, which had been in the works for the past six months, after seeing a series of weather forecasts.
"We didn't want to move it to the rain date," Shelton said. "The weather was supposed to be much worse."
Shelton said in light of unfavorable weather conditions, some UPB members have argued to move the annual carnival to the Fall, but she is not sure if the change will be made.
"Last year, the weather was fine, it was a little cold, but it wasn't too bad," Shelton said. "As of now, it's going to stay in the Spring."
The decision on the carnival's date for next year will be made at a UPB meeting to be held some time this summer, Shelton said.
Ball State junior Matt Thomas, who attended Friday's carnival, said the event was worth going to despite the cold and rain.
"I had a super time, it was phenomenal," Thomas said. "The bad weather kept a lot of people at home. There weren't any waits because of the rain."
Thomas said he enjoyed the rides in addition to the many culinary delights the carnival had to offer.
"The kettle corn was great," Thomas said. "It was sweet and delicious."
Thomas said he did not stay for the entire event because of the rain.
"We rode the Skate and the Pharaoh's Fury," Thomas said. "Then it got cold as hell, so we left."
Ball State senior Alexandra Rausch, who volunteered to work at the event, also said the weather conditions were far from ideal.
"I left after about five hours," Rausch said. "I was soaked."
Rausch said with the crowds thinned out by the rain and cold, the event had more than enough workers to go around.
"First we were supposed to work at this game, but it broke," Rausch said. "So we helped pick up trash, but there were so many workers that they didn't really need our help."
In all, roughly 75 volunteers from 14 BSU student organizations worked to bring the carnival together this year, Shelton said.
"It's going to be just as big next year," Shelton said. "We just hope the weather cooperates."
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