Media Advisory: Carnegie Mellon Celebrates Spring Carnival
- Marketing & Communications
- 412-268-2902
Carnegie Mellon University's annual Spring Carnival and Reunion Weekend is set for April 11-13. It will feature dozens of events, including amusement rides, buggy races and theater performances. Many events are free and open to the public, and a full schedule is available online and will be available on the CMU Events mobile app. Follow the weekend on social media with #CMUcarnival and #CMUbuggy.
Highlights
Sweepstakes Buggy Races
8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Friday, April 12, and 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 13
Held on Tech and Frew streets, and Schenley Drive
Buggies are aerodynamic pushcarts designed and built by student organizations. Each team includes five students who push the buggy in a relay-style race while a driver steers around the 4,400-foot course. Just an inch off the ground, buggies also roll freely reaching speeds of nearly 40 miles per hour. Student organizations cmuTV and WRCT 88.3-FM will broadcast the event on their website and radio station, respectively.
Spring Carnival Booths
3:30 to 11 p.m. on Thursday, April 11
11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday, April 12, and Saturday, April 13
Located on the College of Fine Arts parking lot and lawn
The opening ceremony at 3 p.m. Thursday, April 11, on the Midway will include remarks by CMU President Farnam Jahanian, Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students Gina Casalegno, and Spring Carnival Co-Chairs Hannah Koschmeder and Stephen Clark. The CMU Pipe & Drum and Kiltie bands also will perform. More than 19 student organizations are building booths based on the theme "Planet Earth," including The Lion King, The World Wide Web and The Jungle Book.
25th Annual Mobot Races
Noon to 2 p.m., Friday, April 12
Race course outside Wean Hall
The School of Computer Science invites students, staff and even alumni to show off their creative and technological skills in the Mobot races. Teams will race small, autonomous vehicles ("MObile roBOTs") along a slalom-style course.
Traffic Alert
The City of Pittsburgh has granted permits to close several Oakland-area roads during CMU's Spring Carnival and Sweepstakes buggy races.
Margaret Morrison Street, Tech Street, Frew Street, Circuit Road and Schenley Drive (Panther Hollow and Schenley bridges included) will be closed from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, April 12, and Saturday, April 13. Both City of Pittsburgh Police and Carnegie Mellon Police will be present during the races to help monitor traffic. Roads will re-open by 2 p.m. If inclement weather causes the cancellation of both the Friday and Saturday competitions, races will be held Sunday, April 14, during the same time frame.
Phipps Conservatory will remain open during normal hours. Due to road closures, visitors will need to park on the streets by Carnegie Library and the surrounding area. City of Pittsburgh Police stationed at barricades will give bus drivers instructions for passenger unloading.