In a remarkable turnout of 600+ attendees, the first annual Festival 78 provided an evening of music, food and fun at the Mangrum Track & Field on April 22.

An evening of music, food and fun, the first annual “Festival 78” took place at the Mangrum Track and Field on April 22.

The event organized by the ASI and USU activity boards in association with Tukwut Life, Student Life & Leadership, the University Village Apartments and the CSUSM Alumni Situation.

Food vendors such as Hunter Steakhouse, Mr. Taco, Baked Bear and Kona Ice provided food for attendees. The festival also featured a beer garden for the 21-year-old and up attendees.

Activities from lawn games to interactive art and henna were also available, courtesy of Campus Recreation, the Gender Equity Center and the LGBTQA Pride Center.

As for music acts, “Festival 78” hosted hip-hop and spoken word artist, Ruslan and singer-songwriter Marc E. Bassy.

Born in Baku, Azerbaijan, Ruslan and his family escaped religious persecution and journeyed to the United States. Eventually, Ruslan called San Diego his home.

On top of being a native San Diegan, Ruslan is a CSUSM alumnus making his energetic performance special. He released several albums throughout his career and according to his website, “he hosts The Kings Dream podcast, produces a YouTube vlog and runs his own independent label, Kings Dream Entertainment.”

Following Ruslan’s performance, Bassy took the stage alongside DJ Shabazz. Bassy hails from San Francisco and composed songs for recording artists such as Chris Brown, Wiz Khalifa and Allen Stone.

He performed several songs from his previous albums Groovy People and East Hollywood. On top of those albums, Bassy also received considerable buzz from his collaborations with rapper, G-Eazy.

More information about Ruslan and Bassy can be found through their handles @RuslanKD and @MARCEBASSY. The organizers of “Festival 78” are looking to bring back the festival for the 2017-18 academic year.