14 Apr Bailar to Bond: Banda Night Triples Attendance with Triumphant Return to CSUF
- “Banda Night” returned to Cal State Fullerton with over 1,000 attendees, growing significantly from its original event.
- The celebration highlighted Hispanic culture through live banda music, dancing, and food, reflecting the campus’s large Latino population.
- Students said the event built community, encouraged connection, and created a strong sense of belonging.
Colorful strobe lights, trombones and trumpets filled up the night sky as students bonded through dancing on the Cal State Fullerton campus.
After the popularity and success of Associated Students Inc.’s fall 2025 “Banda Night,” the community-based music event returned to campus on March 20 for all students to enjoy.
Originally hosting 700+ students to honor Hispanic Heritage Month in September 2025, ASI’s Student Programs and Engagement brought back the event this semester to accommodate over 1,000 student attendees and guests.
“We didn’t really plan for it to be as successful as it was,” said Aundrea Nuñez, ASI Student Programs and Engagement programming coordinator. “This time, we had a vision, bigger budget and venue for it to create that sense of belonging and it’s something we’re really proud to put on.”
Banda group, Banda La Prestigiosa, performed for students to dance to traditional Banda-style music at the event./ Credit: ASI Marketing, Communication and Design
Bringing attendants together through music and heritage, the event featured a live musical performance from banda group, Banda la Prestigiosa.
The OC-based banda group included a full-scale orchestra that joined the crowd in many high-energy tango lines.
The event also featured food vendors from ASI’s weekly farmer’s market, like Papas & Dogs and OC Ice Cream, who served agua frescas, tacos, carnita fries and paletas.
According to 2025-2026 CSUF enrollment data, Hispanic and Latino-identifying students make up the largest demographic on campus with 56.44 percent of the total student population.
Students danced in various styles to the sound of Banda music. / Credit: ASI Marketing, Communications and Design
As a Mexican American student at CSUF, fifth-year chemistry major Alyssa Villarreal believes that hosting events like “Banda Night” help her feel closer to her culture on campus.
“It gives me a space to see my culture uplifted,” said Villarreal. “Events like this matter because they allow students to come together and feel like they can see themselves in other people.”
Yazmin Preciado, a fourth-year child and adolescent studies major and community college transfer student, didn’t attend campus events until discovering community-focused opportunities like “Banda Night” after transferring to CSUF in the 2024–2025 academic year.
“When I was attending community college, I wasn’t going to any events,” said Preciado. “When I came here and saw Banda Night, I thought ‘I really need to go to that and just bond with the school and my community.’”
With traditional music, apparel and dancing the grupo interacted with CSUF students late into the night. / Credit: ASI Marketing, Communications and Design
Students danced in community-style circles to a variety of dance styles such as cumbia, bachata and quebradrita.
“The event gives the chance to meet new people and dance with the community” said Amanda Banuelos, ASI Student Programs and Engagement student assistant and the event’s lead coordinator. “It brings people closer together by creating the space to bring them together.”
Playing upbeat dance songs from Bad Bunny and Grupo Frontera in the Hourly West Parking Lot, students like Villareal felt like she could let go of her school stress and connect with her community by dancing with her campus peers and classmates.
“Banda Night is a plethora of beautiful communities coming together to celebrate each other” said Villareal. “Getting to dance together with everyone on campus freely is a great way to bond and let go of my schoolwork stress for a little bit.”
Students, guests and staff enjoyed a night of cultural expression. / Credit: ASI Marketing, Communications and Design
“Banda Night” aligns with ASI’s mission toward inclusivity, collaboration and cultural awareness on campus.
“Events like this matter on college campuses because we try to strive for a sense of belonging here on campus,” said Nuñez. “Being able to implement this event and have it be successful is a big deal to us here at ASI because we do try to walk the walk instead of just talk the talk.”
To learn more about community events like Banda Night that are hosted by ASI Programming, visit ASI’s Instagram.