New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

Strawberry Festival canceled 3 hours after Paulson Center arrests

The NYU Program Board announced that the festival, which was scheduled to take place this afternoon, was canceled after police arrested student protesters at the Paulson Center earlier this morning.
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Manasa Gudavalli
File Photo: Last year’s Strawberry Festival on May 5, 2023. (Manasa Gudavalli for WSN)

NYU’s annual Strawberry Festival event was canceled last-minute Friday morning, following the arrests of around 14 student protesters at the pro-Palestinian encampment outside the Paulson Center earlier the same day. 

“Yes, Strawberry Fest is cancelled,” university spokesperson John Beckman wrote in a statement to WSN. “It’s regrettable, but given this morning’s developments, it seemed like a prudent step.”

The university’s program board, a student-run organization that helps sponsor events and programming at NYU throughout the academic year, confirmed that the festival would no longer be taking place in an Instagram post. The festival was originally planned for later today, from noon to 4 p.m.

“After consulting with Campus Safety, it is with great disappointment to announce that the 2024 Strawberry Festival is canceled,” the post reads. 

The Strawberry Festival — a 35-year-old tradition hosted by the program board and the Center for Student Life — is typically held on West Third Street between LaGuardia Place and Mercer Street. The event, which is open to both the public and NYU affiliates, features local vendors and artists, NYU student organizations and a 160-foot-long strawberry shortcake.

Contact Carmo Moniz and Krish Dev at [email protected].

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About the Contributors
Carmo Moniz
Carmo Moniz, Managing Editor
Carmo Moniz is a junior studying journalism and politics. She enjoys covering city news and dabbling in data journalism, and aspires to one day join the journalism-to-law-school pipeline. When she's not in classes or at the Washington Square News, you can find her looking for a movie to watch or embarking on random art projects. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter @carmo_moniz or send tips at [email protected].
Krish Dev
Krish Dev, Multimedia Editor
Krish is a first-year planning to major in Computer Science and Linguistics at CAS. In his free time, he enjoys posting photos on @krish_dev.creations, obsessing over geography, watching new films with friends, taking public transport to new places and letting Arsenal make or break his week.
Manasa Gudavalli
Manasa Gudavalli, Editor-in-Chief
Manasa Gudavalli is a super senior studying a super strange combination of psychology, mathematics, journalism, and chemistry. When they are not editing the Washington Square News, they are probably reading Freud, watching college football, or developing film photos. You can find them on Instagram @manasa.gudavalli and @gudavalli.photography.

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