A Facebook event, filled the Arcata Plaza with people looking to have fun on Valentine’s day.
By | Curran Daly
A pillow fight erupted in the Arcata Plaza.
The fight attracted people of all ages. At around 4 p.m. on Feb. 14, it began with children and quickly spread to the adults who arrived pillows in tow. Arcata resident Zac Shank came the most prepared with a pillow shield duct taped to his arm and a large body pillow duct taped to his hand.
“I came because it’s cathartic,” Shank said, “it’s fun.”
The fight was organized by an Arcata resident, Rilo DeAnn, and her friend Aren Rye. DeAnn and Rye created a facebook event and began inviting friends.
“It was my friend Aren’s idea I created the event because he egged me on to do it.”
DeAnn said, “Every year in San Francisco, on Valentine’s Day, they have a big pillow fight, apparently it has happened before in the plaza here too.”
DeAnn created a facebook event which at the start of the pillow fight had over 300 people interested and 70 people committed as going. The event mimics a similar event that happens each year in San Francisco and offers a distraction for those who are single on Valentine’s Day.
“I just don’t like Valentine’s Day and I’ve always been single on it and this just seemed like a fun way to cope with that,” DeAnn said, “it’s just a nice way to have a distraction on an otherwise lonely day.”
The pillow fight may not have been as large as the one held in San Francisco, which nearly 1,000 people attended in the past, but it was not lacking on fun. The plaza went from being nearly empty and calm to being full of people. There was laughing, hugging, and lots of whacking people with pillows. Before the pillow fight began DeAnn was just hoping for other people to show up.
“If like five people come out and have a pillow fight with me I’ll be happy,” DeAnn said.
Photo by Curran Daly
DeAnn got more than the five people she was hoping for. Parents with their kids, college students, and other community members attended the pillow fight. Allison Guerrero, sociology major, and Chris Trotta, zoology major, both second year Humboldt students, attended the pillow fight.
“We came because it’s a pillow fight,” Guerrero said, “it’s a good stress reliever in the middle of the day.”
A fun afternoon in the plaza was an excellent distraction for Guerrero and Trotta. The amount of people that attended the event was surprising.
“I was surprised how many people showed up to honestly,” Trotta said.
Whether it was to distract from school or Valentine’s Day. The flash mob pillow fight was a huge success as everyone involved had a good time and could just focus on hitting other people with pillows.
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