Bulldog Bash will return to the Cotton District after earlier decisions were made to move the event to the amphitheater on campus. 
After much collaboration and compromise between university and city leaders, the event will now take place at the east end of University Drive near Coconuts and St. Joseph Catholic Church.
 Student Association President, Roxanne Raven said her main concern is for everyone attending Bulldog Bash to enjoy the show.
 “We’re excited, we’re glad that everyone could come together to work on this,” Raven said. “I hope the new partnerships formed through this process will lead to even stronger partnerships in the future.”
 Earlier this summer, it was announced that Bulldog Bash, famously located in the Cotton District, would be taking place at the amphitheater on campus. 
  This was a result of the  previous space available and used no longer being suitable for the size of the stage and the other equipment needed by the bands coming to the event.
  The previous used space was located at the end of University Drive in the Cotton District.
  This decision to move Bulldog Bash on campus proved to be quite controversial among not only MSU students, but also business owners in The Cotton District. 
   Various city leaders and business owners expressed concerns that moving Bulldog Bash from its traditional location would hurt businesses in the area that rely on the crowds brought to the Cotton District for the event. 
    Ward 4 Alderman, Jason Walker, said about a week after hearing about Bulldog Bash’s initial move to the amphitheater, a meeting was held, involving leaders from the city, the Student Association and the division of Student Affairs to work together to find a way to keep Bulldog Bash in The Cotton District.       
 “We put our heads together to see if we could find an alternative location that would work for the Student Association, but would still be in the city,” Walker said. “Fortunately, it looks like we were able to make that happen.”  
2016 Director of Bulldog Bash for Music Maker Productions, Alex Coats, said The Starkville Board of Aldermen granted formal approval for Bulldog Bash to be hosted at a new location in the Cotton District in August, but that it has been a process The Student Association, the city of Starkville, St Joseph’s Catholic Church, Coconut’s and Cotton District property owners have been working on throughout the last few months.
  “The environment of the Cotton District is unbeatable,” Coats said. “So, being able to find a way to host the biggest free outdoor concert in the state of Mississippi within the Cotton District is huge both for us and for the community.”
   Bulldog Bash will be held in its new location on Friday, October 7, 2016, and acts will be announced in early September. For more information visit msubulldogbash.com, or contact Music Maker Productions members, Alex Coats or Allie Nichols.