Featuring over 600 clubs and organizations, ClubFest, Cornell’s semesterly student club fair, will be held on Saturday on the Arts Quad. The event offers registered student organizations at Cornell an opportunity to advertise themselves to prospective members and encourage students to join.
The event will be divided into two sessions. Session one will take place from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. and session two will take place 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Clubfest also includes 28 live student performances, which will range from dancing and singing to sword fighting.
Session one will center around physical activity clubs, Greek life organizations, performing arts groups and pre-professional organizations. Meanwhile, session two will be dedicated to groups relating to a much broader array of topics, including but not limited to advocacy, politics, culture, environmental groups, animals, gaming, written publications and visual arts.
Hiba Loukssi ’27, president of the Cornell Student Union Board, said that between 1,500 and 2,000 students typically attend ClubFest, and that there are more clubs registered this year than from last year.
One registered organization that will be tabling at Clubfest is Phi Delta Epsilon International Medical Fraternity, Lambda chapter, which is a co-ed international medical fraternity. William Fox ’26, president of the Lambda chapter, shared that the club supports members’ medical journeys by offering academic resources, volunteer opportunities and MCAT discounts, in addition to providing a community where members can form lifelong connections.
“We look for members who will be an active part of our organization, bringing in new ideas, challenging existing ones and assuming leadership to better our organization and its members,” Fox said when asked about advice he would give to students interested in joining.
Students can also expect to see the performing arts group Mediocre Melodies at ClubFest. According to the Mediocre Melodies website, the club is “an a cappella club that prides itself on being the worst a cappella group on campus.”
Quincy Stern ’27, vice president of the Mediocre Melodies, said that all of the proceeds from the club’s performances are donated to local Ithaca charities.
“When you see us at ClubFest, it will be a few random people screaming, showing you pamphlets and making eye contact until you finally decide to give in and put your name on our signup list,” Stern said, hinting at the comical aspects of his organization.
Loukssi shared that ClubFest has grown every year, especially since the pandemic, when ClubFest was held virtually. In Fall 2024, there were around 500 tables and this year there is expected to be around 725 tables.
“It is definitely one of my favorite events we plan, as it helps introduce first years to the wide range of student organizations on campus,” Loukssi said.
Sophia Koman is a member of the Class of 2027 in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. She is a staff writer for the News department and can be reached at skoman@cornellsun.com.
