St. Patrick’s Day is finally here. To celebrate, the Campus Activities Team (CAT) partnered with multiple organizations on campus to provide a fun-filled weekend for students.

The festivities began on Thursday, when an Ice Skating Rink opened for the very first time in the Tolentine Lot. The rink was open for skaters from Thursday at 6 p.m. to Saturday at 11 p.m. After making a reservation, students were given ice skates and could spend the entire night skating and having fun with friends. Around the entire rink, bright green lights were displayed for St. Patrick’s Day. Skaters even got to listen to today’s top hits while on the ice.

“I thought that it was a cool idea to set up on campus that most colleges aren’t doing,” freshman Sara Taddeo said. “It was a unique experience, and I had fun hanging out with my friends.”

After this, students had the chance to participate in a NovaQuizzo at the Oreo at 9 p.m. Winners received awesome prizes, including Villanova gear from the bookstore. What made this NovaQuizzo even more exciting was that all participants enjoyed free Insomnia Cookies.

The fun didn’t stop there, however. On Friday afternoon, Panhellenic sorority Kappa Delta held its Shamrock Event, where many students came to play corn hole. The event was a way for the Villanova community to support KD’s philanthropy in a safe, fun and socially distant way. Sophomore Julia Stanisci was one of the many students attending the event.

“It was so wholesome to see everyone having such a great time for a great cause,” Stanisci said.

On Friday night, fire pits were open to students from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. Those who reserved fire pits had a great night catching up, relaxing and staying warm with friends.

Of course, if it’s Friday, it’s Food Truck Friday on campus. The food trucks were open to all students and were parked around the Quad, the Oreo and the Campus Green from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. The night’s menu included delicious pizza, doughnuts, ice cream, French toast bites, crab fries and mac n’ cheese. On Main Campus, there were countless students walking with friends, holding their food truck delicacies.

Perhaps the most popular attraction of the weekend was NOVAdance’s Silent Disco Night. This event was open to all students. After signing in, everyone received a set of headphones. Each set had three color-coded stations: red, blue and green. The entire night, everyone listened to each station, dancing and singing along to their favorite songs.

“It was really great seeing so many people having fun together,” freshman Nicholas Venturini said. “It was like we were all at a party.”

All of the money raised from this Silent Disco goes towards the B+ Foundation, which supports families and children battling pediatric cancer. Everyone who attended had a blast for an amazing cause.

The fun continued into Saturday, when students twenty-one and older got to enjoy the Senior Pub Series at the Oreo from 7 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. After reserving their spots online, seniors had a terrific night with food trucks, fire pits, beers, live entertainment and custom festive beer steins.

To finish Saturday night on a high note, students reserved spots for Arcade Night. From 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Driscoll Tennis Courts, gamers could play air hockey, ping pong, foosball, pop-a-shot and black light mini-golf.

“I’m a sucker for ping pong, so that was definitely my favorite game,” freshman Isabella Ritano said. “My friends and I had so much fun.”

To finish off the weekend, the Villanova Club Rugby Team, the Irish Cultural Society and CAT held a screening of the 2021 Ireland vs. Scotland rugby match at the Oreo on Sunday. At 7 p.m., all students had the chance to meet our Rugby Team and enjoy the beautiful weather.

The University is set to have even more fun-filled events on St. Patrick’s Day Wednesday, including an alcohol education trivia game, cookie decorating at the Campus Green fire pits and food trucks.

Of course, no holiday festivities are complete without celebrating on the actual holiday. Therefore, many students attended the fun-filled events held on St Patrick’s Day, on March 17th.

From 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., students reserved Fire Pits and ate even more delicious treats from the Food Trucks on the Campus Green. Meanwhile, CAT held a St. Patrick’s Day Cookie Decorating night, with a performance by our very own Irish Dance Team.

After attending events this weekend and on Wednesday, senior Kristen Mahoney, a member of the Irish Dance Team, had positive things to say about the University’s celebrations.

“The events held to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day brought a fun and festive vibe to campus,” Mahoney said. “It was awesome seeing fire pits and food trucks set up as a safe way to celebrate. I loved getting the opportunity to perform with the Villanova Irish Dance Team on St. Patrick’s Day and also at the Senior Pub Series held at the Oreo last Saturday. I hope these events stick around for years to come.”