It’s not Veishea, but students and event organizers said the Union Drive Association’s Springfest, part of the “This is Your April” events, went off without a hitch.

Nearly 1,000 students steadily turned out throughout the day Saturday from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m. to attend Springfest.

“It’s turned out a lot better than I thought,’ said Tyler Diedrich, chairman of Springfest. “Obviously it’s not Veishea, and we can’t fill its place because we just don’t have the resources to do something that large, but I think this has been a good substitute.”

Students in attendance for Springfest’s Battle of the Bands on Saturday night seemed to hold the same opinion, as 100 to 150 people turned out despite some rain to listen to local music.

“It gives us something to look forward to. It’s a nice way to end the year, and it helps to give the underage people something to do,’ said Erin Dose, senior in psychology who was at the Battle of the Bands. “It’s still a while until finals, and Spring Break was a while ago, so it’s nice to have something in between. It’s perfect timing.

“I think there was more with Veishea, but it’s really nice to have this.”

Springfest is the first time UDA has held a large-scale, daylong event for students, and although it does not incorporate everything that would have made up Veishea this year, event organizers said they believe it did well to continue many of its aspects.

“I think we’ve done a good job of picking up on some of the things that would have been missed because there is not Veishea,” said Kelly Leaman, Friley Hall vice president. “While there hasn’t been as many people as would be at Veishea, the level of enthusiasm is the same.”

Residence hall volunteers and ISU Police officers said there were no reported instances of misbehavior or disruption during festivities.

Because of its success, event organizers said they will work to see the event continue for next year, despite Veishea’s reinstatement.

“Everyone’s getting involved, even some people who might not have been involved with Veishea,” said Doug Houghton, director of the Department of Public Safety parking division.

Ames Police Cmdr. Randy Kessel said the number of arrests made by police during the week was not out of the ordinary.

“I think it’s been great everyone’s been responsible,” said Government of the Student Body Towers Residence Association senator Ryan Doll.

Doll, along with former GSB speaker of the senate Henry Alliger, Dean of Students Pete Englin and Ames Mayor Ted Tedesco, did ride-alongs with the Ames Police Department late Saturday night and early Sunday morning.

Although this weekend was a good first step to demonstrate students can hold celebrations in April and behave themselves at the same time, he said students and the university will need to build a steady track record if they are to dispel the stigma that surrounds Veishea and this time of year.

“We are going to have to have a calm Veishea for years. People still talk about the riots in the ’80s,” Doll said. “We can’t prove in one weekend that things will be better — it’s going to take years of improvement.”

He said Veishea organizers for next year can draw good examples for this year’s activities to help produce a successful Veishea.

“There was nothing to gather large crowds this weekend,” Doll said. “Things definitely need to be spread out. They need to have lots of different events in different locations.”

Doll said he also recommends continuing “This is Your April.”

“It doesn’t concentrate things so much. By making it an entire month, it made it hard for people to say. ‘Oh, we’re going to party this night or oh, we’re going to act stupid this night,'” he said.

Alliger shared the same sentiments.

“I think it opened people’s eyes to more and new activities,” he said.