Friday at 6 p.m., the ACU Alumni Association will be putting on JamFest, an annual concert made up of ACU student bands.

JamFest will feature a fireworks show and will likely be attended by more than 1,000 students and alumni. Nine bands will perform music from a variety of genres at the show.

Jama Cadle, assistant director of alumni relations and university events, has high hopes for JamFest, which will be the first event of Homecoming weekend.

“It is a great opportunity for students to stay involved,” Cadle said. “It’s also great for prospective students. The alumni love it as well, because it has a really good feel to it.”

Festivities will begin at 6 p.m. with free pizza, T-shirts and a firework show to accompany Reuben Katagiri, who will be the first band to preform.

The rest of the line up for Friday night includes Wyld Stallions, The Band Isaac, Pierce Hardin, McCall & Anderson, The Dogwood and M.A. Double. Following those bands, the concert will stop for fireworks before headline bands Sunset at Ivry and The Fox and the Hounds conclude JamFest.

“Some of these guys have played before, like The Band Isaac, but we also have new bands too,” Cadle said. “So a good mix makes up the line up.”

Each band has its own style, jumping genres from Christian music to rock and roll.

“JamFest is all kinds of student talent,” Cadle said. “The main purpose of JamFest is just to showcase the student talent. In the past, we have had a lot of events for the alumni and their families, but we were having trouble keeping students engaged, so this is an event that we put on to really appeal to the students.”

JamFest is not only an attraction for alumni and prospective students, but also an opportunity for the bands to play in front of a large crowd.

“I absolutely love playing in front of big crowds,” said Isaac Wright, a senior physical education major from Abilene and a member of The Band Isaac. “It really gets me energized and helps me play as well as I can. I hope that everyone out there enjoys the experience.”