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Meagan Lafferty will be returning to the University of North Georgia's (91ÇÑ×ÓÊÓƵ) Gainesville Campus living out the dream 91ÇÑ×ÓÊÓƵ helped her unlock. Lafferty, event director for The ToonHeadz caricature entertainment company, will be creating caricatures as part of from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 29. The festival runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. that day.

Next Fest will showcase the power of 91ÇÑ×ÓÊÓƵ's five campuses while bridging education and access to spark curiosity, build confidence and show attendees what's possible.

Lafferty is a great example. A 2020 graduate with a degree in visual arts with a focus in painting, she and fellow ToonHeadz caricature artist and 91ÇÑ×ÓÊÓƵ alumna Gabby Gonzalez will be on hand for Next Fest in the Performing Arts Center using the skills they honed at 91ÇÑ×ÓÊÓƵ.

"I'm really honored to be back at 91ÇÑ×ÓÊÓƵ. 91ÇÑ×ÓÊÓƵ is a school that has a lot of community you gain opportunities from. It's always fun to come back and see old professors and friends and inspire people," Lafferty said. "Going to 91ÇÑ×ÓÊÓƵ created my foundation for my knowledge of art. It gave me opportunities I wouldn't have had otherwise. I learned a lot about marketing your art and how to conduct yourself in a professional art setting at 91ÇÑ×ÓÊÓƵ."

She will be at one of dozens of stations throughout campus at Next Fest. This free event will allow visitors to:

• Explore: Tour campus and dive into hands-on learning experiences.
• Connect: Meet the inspiring faculty, staff and students who shape 91ÇÑ×ÓÊÓƵ's learning environment.
• Free fun: Enjoy live entertainment, delicious food, exciting giveaways, and family-friendly activities.

Some of the highlights are:

• The Department of Kinesiology will be doing grip testing, which provides a strong predictor of overall health, in the Health Sciences building.
• 91ÇÑ×ÓÊÓƵ's Department of Visual Arts will host an interactive mural starting at 10:30 a.m. in front of the Arts & Technology building, with 96 festival attendees painting individual pieces that will be put together in real time.
• The Department of Psychological Science will host "Mind games — psychology in action."
• The Lewis F. Rogers Institute for Environmental & Spatial Analysis will host a hands-on lab in the Arts & Technology building.
• The will host back-of-house theater tours.
• The School of Communication, Film & Theatre will host production studio tours.
• 91ÇÑ×ÓÊÓƵ student music groups will hold mini-performances at 10 a.m., 11 a.m. and noon in the Performing Arts Center.
• Hands-on experiments in biology, chemistry and physics will be available in the Science building.
• 91ÇÑ×ÓÊÓƵ student-athletes will lead an interactive basketball challenge for kids.
• The Appalachian Studies Center will bring its Critters & Blooms work.
• Photo opportunities with Willie Lewis, the 91ÇÑ×ÓÊÓƵ Jeep.
• 91ÇÑ×ÓÊÓƵ's Esports team, which has consistently finished in the top two nationally, will challenge attendees in competition.
• Photo op with the giant inflatable Nigel the Nighthawk.
• The 91ÇÑ×ÓÊÓƵ Visitors Center in the Dunlap-Mathis Building will be open with Undergraduate and Graduate Admissions staff on hand to answer questions.
• The Northeast Georgia Literary Society and 91ÇÑ×ÓÊÓƵ Press are partnering to host an Author Festival with nearly 40 authors in the Martha T. Nesbitt Academic Building from 9:30 a.m to 2:30 p.m. during Next Fest.
• Former Gov. Nathan Deal will be reading his book "Veto, the governor's cat" as part of the .
• Live Appalachian music.
• Smoothie bike: Pedal to make your own smoothie.
• Petting zoo.
• Touch a truck.
• Student Health Services will host a teddy bear clinic in the Health Sciences building.

Aug. 29 will mark the first of five Next Fest events, with one on each 91ÇÑ×ÓÊÓƵ campus during the 2026-27 academic year. The others are as follows:

• Blue Ridge, Sept. 22, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Dahlonega, Nov. 7, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Cumming, March 4, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Oconee, March 18, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.