Label Volunteer, Lydia Potrykus, brings you a piece on her first Rag Fireworks experience.
Since 1979 Loughborough Students’ Rag has raised over 16 million for charity, and one of the contributing events includes the Rag Fireworks Extravaganza: a night of fun, fireworks and fundraising that has recently seen its 22nd opening night. As a fresher and complete newbie to the Lboro’ tradition, I thought I’d check it out to see what all the hype was about.
The night started at 5:30pm, with a small display at 7pm and the main display at 8pm. Aside from the main attractions, there was a huge range of fair rides and games, and more food stalls than anyone could ever need in one night – I’d definitely suggest arriving a little earlier in the evening to leave time to check everything out.
First things first: the food. Arguably the most important part of any event, the food really didn’t let the night down. There were a range of options available, including classic fun-fair food such as hotdogs, burgers and chips, as well as pizza, and a variety of sweet treats (I was particularly excited about the deep-fried Oreos). Cadburys even made an appearance, with an irresistible hot chocolate van to warm up cold hands.
After stocking up on hot chocolate and snacks we headed over to find a good spot for the first display. Kicking off at 7pm the small display is a great chance for younger children (and adults) to get involved with the fun. It was slightly quieter and ran for less time than the main display, however still managed to drag little eyes away from candy floss, light-sticks and the toy on the hook-a-duck stall – that they absolutely need right now – up into the sky in awe.
Just before the main event at 8pm came the projection display. Including a heartfelt minute silence for the victims of the recent Leicester helicopter crash with the Leicester City emblem projected proudly onto the Hazlerigg building, followed by a WW2 themed display in honour of upcoming Remembrance Day. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but the projections really took my breath away. Soon after came the main display. The fireworks were incredible and the Rag team did a great job with providing some pretty on-point background music (big shout-out to whoever put The Greatest Showman on the playlist).
One thing to mention was the amazing atmosphere; the community feel was ultimately the best part about the event. As a fresher, it was really great to see members of the public getting involved with the Loughborough experience (and leaving with happy faces!). The atmosphere was friendly and inviting, with laughs and smiles all around, and I’m really happy to have been a part of it – and to have raised money for charity at the same time is only a bonus. I’ll definitely be amongst the crowd again next year.
If you’d like to see me there, or join in with other exciting events, more information about future Rag events can be found here.
Featured image by: Princess Woy
