Starkville has teamed up with the MSU Student Association to provide safety, entertainment and fun for the community at tonight’s Bulldog Bash.
The city will play a crucial role in helping regulate the Cotton District tonight, SA director of external affairs Chrissie Prichard said.
“The city of Starkville provides police support, the electrical and the waste management,” Prichard said. “They, in exchange for sponsorship, give us the things we need. We’ve been working with the police department to set up road closures and they’re also going to have man-power there all night long, helping us out.”
This year, Telle said, due to more publicity of the event, they hope to have a turnout of at least 30,000 people-10,000 more than last year’s crowd.
To accommodate the needs of the expected crowd, several roads in the Cotton District will close. Beginning at 2 p.m. today, University Drive, Maxwell Street, Paige Avenue and Muldrow Avenue will be completely blocked off, while just the intersection of Hogan Street and Holtsinger will be closed.
Shuttle services will be provided tonight for concert-goers concerned with parking. Shuttle routes will run from the Cotton District to the Cooley Building and from the Bost Extension Center, by the Hunter Henry Center, to the Cotton District for the event. A shuttle will also run by Quizno’s Restaurant and the First Baptist and First Methodist Churches to the Cotton District.
Restaurants like The Cotton District Grill and Bulldog Deli are expecting a large turnout at their restaurants due to Bulldog Bash.
“Bulldog Bash always brings out positive outcomes with business by providing us with an increased number of patrons,” Hobie Hobart, general manager of Bulldog Deli, said.
The Deli will be fully staffed and prepared for the influx of customers tonight, Hobart said.
“We’re staffing up as though it’s a game day,” he said.
Dan Camp, Cotton District developer, said Bulldog Bash has always generated a positive response throughout the community.
“Virtually, there has never been a problem with the students misbehaving at this event. I am proud of how well they conduct themselves each year,” Camp said.
Residents from the Cotton District also said they are looking forward to the Bulldog Bash and hope to enjoy the food, folks and fun.
Camp said that Bulldog Bash would not only serve as a big, open house for MSU students and Starkville residents but for people throughout Mississippi.
The Student Association has been able to gain continuous support for the event each year is because students have always managed to behave themselves appropriately, SA President Adam Telle said.
“Students have behaved themselves so well in the past that Dr. Lee has continued to support the event,” Telle said. “We’re really excited about this. We’ve been preparing for this event since April.”