A line of students stretched from the Late Nite Carnival entrance in Commuter Lot 1 to McKinley Avenue at 9 p.m. Friday, marking the beginning of the fourth annual Late Nite event. Students said fireworks, free snow cones and candy and a variety of rides and prizes were a few of the reasons they were attracted to the carnival.
More than 7,000 students and guests attended the event, Jessica Inman, student director of Late Nite, said.
About 7,000 people attended the 2006 Late Nite Carnival, and about 2,500 attended the 2005 Late Nite Carnival, she said.
"I, as well as the Late Nite staff, [was] very pleased with the turnout at Friday night's event," Inman said. "The students attending the event were great and really enjoyed themselves."
Students lined up outside the event before it began at 9 p.m. Students who pre-registered were allowed to walk in and avoid the lines at the gate. The number of students in attendance made the wait time for rides hard to endure, students said.
"There were such long lines for the rides that I was only able to go on two," freshman Ashley Crussel said. "But, for the most part, the carnival was a blast."
Students who rode the ferris wheel between 10:30 p.m. and midnight, the carnival's busiest point, waited in line for about an hour. Despite the long lines, carnival-goers said they enjoyed the event. At midnight, the fireworks show began and lasted about 15 minutes. Many of the fireworks were yellow and blue - the official colors of Late Nite.
"The fireworks were great," freshman Adam Campbell said. "I finally got on the ferris wheel when they started. "The view from the top was amazing."
A new addition to the carnival this year was a main stage show to entertain students while they ate food and waited on rides. Acts included student bands, a student mentalist and yo-yo champion Noel Kunz.
"Noel stole the main stage show with his amazing yo-yo ability," Drew Oliver, master of ceremonies for the show, said.
Events included karaoke, games such as Planko and rides such as the Yo-Yo and the Ring of Fire. Late Nite provided free snow cones, cotton candy, popcorn and Pepsi products.
Inman said the good weather and entertainment made the Late Nite Carnival one of the most successful thus far.
"I am really thankful I decided to go," Crussel said. "I would have really missed out on a great experience here at Ball State if I wouldn't have attended."
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