The All-Campus Programming Board will spend an estimated $70,000 in overall costs to put on Thursday’s FlashFest, according to Tom Simpson, assistant director for the Center for Student Involvement. The organization will pay a combined $30,000 fee for headlining band OK Go and opening band Bloodcat Love.

Other costs of the event include lighting and sound systems, setup of two stages and security. The event, which has a 1980s theme, will take place at noon on the fields in front of the Centennial residence halls and is free for students to attend.

“You essentially have to build a venue,” Simpson said. “It’s like building a building outside for a few hours.”

Money spent to pay for FlashFest is raised through ACPB’s portion of the Student Activity Fee paid for with tuition each semester.

Other acts slated to perform at FlashFest are The Speedbumps, Winslow, Evan Evolution, SIR, Bears and Beaten Awake. Bloodcat Love is set to take the stage at 7 p.m. with OK Go following immediately afterward.

“We’ve got some great bands,” Simpson said. “Winslow is a tremendous band. The Plain Dealer gave them an A+.”

FlashFest will also feature an all-day Guitar Hero tournament and vendors including Hungry Howie’s Pizza, Coca-Cola, Jimmy John’s and the Cleveland Indians. More than $10,000 worth of prizes will be given away, Simpson said.

Simpson said getting vendors to come and offer free items to students was no small task.

“These guys have a business to run,” Simpson said. “It’s very hard to bring them here at the end of the year. They’re more likely to want to come to something like BlastOff! at the beginning of the year where they can show kids where to go to buy a sandwich, where to go to buy a pizza or flip flops.”

Student organizations can set up a table at FlashFest for free. ACPB’s deadline for student organizations interested in setting up a table is tomorrow at 5 p.m.

ACPB house chairwoman Marie Daher said FlashFest is an opportunity for students to unwind before the end of the semester.

“It’s at the end of the year, and you can come and relax for a few hours,” Daher said. “Plus everybody likes free things.”

Simpson said students should take advantage of the event, which comes without a ticket price.

“Free, free, free — that’s the key word,” Simpson said.

Contact student politics reporter Jenna Staul at [email protected].