Few schools are so beloved that students decide to return for a weekend in the middle of the summer. Yet, that is exactly what transpires during Midsummers at the University.
Midsummers holds no formal schedule or spot on the University’s calendar. The event evolved from “Easters,” a former University tradition that dates back to 1898 and boasted nearly week-long festivities on Rugby Rd. Consisting of the same “darties” in fraternity yards and bar crawls on the Corner, Midsummers instead spans just a weekend — though some students arrive Thursday to stretch the fun even longer.
This Midsummers, University students flocked back to Charlottesville by the hundreds — many even brought friends who attend college elsewhere — filling up parking spaces, restaurants and bars alike.
But beneath all the noise, a more somber reality lingered, making for a more reflective tone throughout the weekend. July 11 was former University President Jim Ryan’s last day in office after he resigned at the end of June under pressure from the Department of Justice.
Following his sudden resignation, many students took the event as an opportunity to reconnect with friends and other members of the University community, seeing it as some needed normalcy amidst a very disruptive summer. Third-year College student Molly Russell noted the rift Ryan’s departure had already created at school.
“There's been a cloud on Grounds recently … A simple walk on the street — you could feel that loss already,” Russell said. “Even though [Ryan] wouldn't necessarily be at Midsummers, his presence in Charlottesville and the greater community is very large. We could just feel the difference this year — at least I know I could.”
Fortunately, the weekend’s attendees were able to overcome all the buzz and remember the reason for the weekend. Third-year College student Rio Jones said that Midsummers, at its core, is simply a homecoming.
“It's almost like a college reunion, but it's in the middle of the summer, and you still go to school there,” Jones said. “I went because I really miss everyone, and I miss being in Charlottesville.”
It is not just University students who make the trip for Midsummers. Hundreds of students from other Virginia state schools like James Madison University, Virginia Tech and Virginia Commonwealth University, and even out-of-state schools, arrived in Charlottesville last weekend.
Jocelyn Gonzales, a junior at VCU, came up to Midsummers to visit one of her close friends who attends the University. Gonzales traveled two and a half hours to come to Midsummers, and when asked what she was most looking forward to, she answered without hesitation.
“Coupes,” Gonzales said. “For the live music.”
And she certainly was not alone. Each night of the weekend, the line surged at Coupe's, a popular outdoor bar tucked away on Elliewood Avenue and known for its live music. By 8:30 p.m., the wait time was well over an hour, and by 9:30, the bar had reached capacity, enforcing a one-in-one-out policy for the rest of the night. Similar overflows could be found all along the Corner.
As the sun went down, the clicking of cowboy boots, shrieking of joyous reunion and blaring of electronic music from 7 Day Junior created a lively soundtrack for University Avenue on those tepid summer nights.
Russel said that she originally did not think Ryan’s resignation would have an impact on this year’s Midsummers experience, but it turned out to make the weekend more meaningful.
“Being able to have that U.Va. community rally around each other and being able to uplift one another in this trying time was really something that I think that all of us needed,” Russell said.
With the timing of Midsummers aligning with Ryan’s move out of Carr’s Hill , Jones explained how these events coinciding bolstered community and support among students at the University.
“Once he announced his resignation … people were really coming together, signing petitions or saying how they felt,” Jones said. “I think that having that kind of uproar in the community — and then having Midsummers where everyone that actually got to be together physically — definitely ignited something.”
What started as a word-of-mouth reunion has become a yearly mass migration and an undeniable part of the University’s culture, giving students a chance to reconnect with each other — this year, at a moment when community and togetherness mattered more than anything.
“[Being] back in Charlottesville with all of the people that I love reminded me of why I love this school and why I love this community so much,” Russell said. “And it's not necessarily Ryan that makes U.Va. incredible. It's the students. We are going to be able to get through this if we rely on one another.”
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