The last ExTRAvaganza played out under the vacant and semi-vacant husks of the Tower Residence Halls on Saturday.

The celebration featured inflatable jousting and boxing games, food and impromptu games of hacky sack. The fun continued throughout the evening with a showcase of four bands: Hog Mallet, Death Defies Her, Parallex and The Rock. A few Towers residents took advantage of their location and listened from the warm comfort of their dorm rooms.

Cracks, booms and screams exploded in the sky at 10 p.m. during the fireworks display, an ExTRAvaganza tradition.

Mike Schmitt, junior in computer engineering, had attended past fireworks and said he looked forward to this year’s event.

“The firework show’s [usually] a pretty good display,” he said.

The colorful display prompted cheers from the large crowd bundled in sweatshirts and blankets in the chilly evening air.

Lydia Moeller, freshman in animal science, was among the crowd gathered at the ISU cross country course to watch the display.

“The fireworks were awesome — some of the best I’ve ever seen,” she said.

Alex McLaren, junior in electrical engineering, said life in Towers isn’t the same now as it was when all four of the halls were full. Storm and Knapp Halls have closed, and Wallace and Wilson Halls now house only 600 students, making the complex much quieter.

Amy Trescott, junior in accounting, agreed.

“It was way more ‘college life’ [in Knapp]. Wallace-Wilson is kind of ‘do your own thing.’ It’s not very unity-based,” she said.

Some students said they were sad to see the end of ExTRAvaganza. Trescott intends to live in Towers next year and will miss attending the event.

“I think it kind of sucks. … It seems like they’re taking things away [because they are closing buildings],” she said.

Ryan Pfeiffer, junior in mechanical engineering, said he was also disappointed.

“I think it’s really crappy. Towers are a really cool place to live,” he said.

Despite being the final ExTRAvaganza celebration, attendance was about the same as in previous years.

Kyle Perkins, Towers Residence Association president and sophomore in management information systems, said decreased residency and the outdoor location might have deterred some from attending.

“Overall, I think it went well … The fireworks were great, of course,” he said.