After transferring here last fall from the lone star state of Texas, I was sure it would be a long time until I broke out my cowboy boots, heard country music or ate good Mexican food (I am sorry Torticas lovers, but there is nothing like Tex-mex). Yes, I was skeptical, but I had a change of heart pretty soon after I heard the words “barn dance.”
When it comes to partying, Illinois keep the themes interesting: Irish themes, pajama themes, movie themes… you name it! However, barn dance has to be the best theme of all.
Once I heard that our campus had a tradition of hosting barn dances, my reaction was as follows: “Wait you mean to tell me we can wear cowboy boots and party at a barn? Sign me the heck up.”
For one, the clothing options are endless! If the weather is nice, bring out those high-waited shorts or jean dresses. Or if the weather is cold, you are in the clear to wear comfy flannels and jeans. There really isn’t a downside.
I also discovered that there are many barns to go to. The one that is most popular is Farm Lake, which is the most adorable barn situated between two small lakes in Urbana. Loretta Dessen, usually known as the Chex Mix Lady, is the farm owner and has been hosting barn dance parties for over 20 years!
Of course, at my latest barn dance this semester, sweet Loretta was there with her basket of Chex Mix. When I asked why she started her Chex Mix tradition, she looked at me and simply said, “Well, I want to make sure they have something in their stomachs!”
Okay, so far on the list we have Chex Mix, comfy country apparel, plenty of beverages to go around and a lot of people ready to have a good time. What is not to love? Maybe it is my southern pride making me biased, but there are plenty of personal reasons that have made this particular date event one of my favorites.
I even talked to my friends who go to southern schools, and hardly any of them did anything that was like barn dance. Sure, they wear cowboy boots to games, but I had to brag; they don’t have the sweet pleasure of attending Illinois’ classic twist of a country barn dance.
Also, there is nothing like getting off campus for a while and breathing some fresh air. You pretty much declare that fall has arrived once you feel the chilly air and warm up with your date next to a bonfire. Bottom line is that you are comfortable, you don’t have loud bar music blasting your ears out, and you get to just enjoy the company of the people around you under the barn lights and stars.
That deserves a five star rating in my opinion. The only thing I would criticize the event on is that there are never any bathrooms. I guess you can’t have it all!
So let barn dance season continue to excite the students far and wide. Take it from this Texan when I say you just can’t go wrong with a little southern comfort.
