Liberty Students Celebrate End Of Semester At After Party April 26

Thousands of Liberty University students gathered April 26 at 5 p.m. in the LaHaye Parking Lot for the highly anticipated end-of-semester celebration, After Party, hosted by Student Activities.  

Despite enduring the mounting stress of finals and homework, students got the chance to take a break and enjoy the festivities with friends. The event included live music, carnival rides, activities and food trucks. Jarad Alpert, event supervisor at Student Activities, said the planning process for After Party is extensive. 

 “Generally, planning for it starts the semester before After Party even happens. … It’s been a lot of work booking artists and making set ideas and graphics and planning out where everything will be going,” Alpert said.  

The annual occasion offers plenty of entertainment for students to take part in throughout the night. Food trucks featuring local Lynchburg vendors — including Rookies, Moon Tea, Domino’s, Clarkboys Kettlecorn and The Bagel & I — were set up in the parking lot to satisfy any cravings.  

Students also lined up for carnival rides or visited the Lahaye Ice Center for ice skating. Lines of students wrapped around the numerous ventures and vendors as they snapped pictures together.  

Student Activities gave out free After Party sweatshirts on a first-come, first-served basis. 

Alpert said After Party holds special meaning for graduating students.  

“With After Party, we use it as a way to focus on the seniors,” Alpert said. “It’s like the last hurrah. You get to hang out with friends and make good memories before you graduate.”  

The evening’s music lineup opened with Leta Carlene, followed by Graham Guy and then joined by Steven Stanley. Each performer worked tirelessly to amp up the crowd as students continued to flood into After Party.  

Gable Price and Friends, an alternative rock band known for their Dove Award nominated album “The Consequence of Being Alive,” headlined the event. The band opened their set with “Newspaper Boat” from their album “Jungle in the City.” They also played songs such as “I Don’t Wanna Live Like This,” “Awestruck Revival” and “The Consequence of Being Alive” and closed the night with “I Need You” from their album “If I’m Being Honest.”  

Senior Nolan Hayes said he performed with opener Leta Carlene.  

“After Party was insane. It’s one of my favorite parts of the whole semester,” Hayes said. “Getting to open for Gable Price and Friends right before I graduate … everything came full circle because one of my first experiences at Liberty was After Party when I came on a college visit. … It was an awesome time.”  

For many students, After Party 2025 was a much-needed recess from end-of-semester stress and a wonderful chance to make meaningful college memories.  

Student Activities hosts many events like this throughout the year for students to look forward to. Students can plan to attend Yard Sale April 30 on the Academic Lawn from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. The event will feature clothing, homemade items, local vendors and more.  

To stay up to date on Student Activities events, visit www.liberty.edu/sa. 

Clinton is a news reporter for the Liberty Champion.