Children rush across Kenwood Mall from stand to stand to purchase cotton candy and popcorn, exchanging strings of red tickets for entry into elaborate bouncy houses. At the various booths across the playground, U-High students and members of the Parents’ Association manage Rites of May activities that range from making slime to crafting intricate origami.
Today, Rites of May is an annual tradition where younger Lab students have the chance to connect through games and crafts — yet few students are aware that it didn’t always have this purpose. Originally, it was intended to be a high school event surrounding a student-run performance and money-making opportunities for clubs.
According to Marty Billingsley, a U-High computer science teacher and 1977 U-High graduate, Rites of May has evolved over time from being a fair centered on theater in the Blaine courtyard to having a carnival atmosphere.
“Before, it was put on by high school and for high school,” Ms. Billingsley said. “The play used to be outside, and the students in theater tech had a great time putting the stage up. Everyone who came to the event came for the play.”
Ms. Billingsley attended Rites of May herself as a student.
“I remember my sister in the early ’70s wearing a long flowy dress with a guitar,” Ms. Billingsley said. “It was a very different event back then.”
Around 15 years ago, construction surrounding the Blaine courtyard prevented the future setup of an outdoor stage.
“The lawyer said we could no longer have the theater stage and so we couldn’t have the high school play from then on,” Ms. Billingsley said. “That took away the whole aspect of everyone gathering together in the courtyard.”
Consequently, the play grew disconnected from Rites of May, and U-High students became much less involved in the planning, with the Parents’ Association adopting a more prominent role in running the event.
Now, the festival is mainly targeted toward younger students.
“I really wish it were still run by the high school students and that the play would still exist,” Ms. Billingsley said. “It was really a special thing.”
Liucija Ambrosini, a U-High theater director who retired in 2024 and briefly ran Rites of May, also thought of the event’s past as centered on theater. According to her, the entire high school was involved in the innovative experience of setting up the play and managing club-run booths.
“It was a huge amount of fun and the community really embraced it,” Ms. Ambrosini said. “It was really a big affair.”
Regarding the current state of Rites of May, she thinks the high school still values the event, although it has strayed from the original intent.
“It became something different,” Ms. Ambrosini said, “but the parents wanted it for the kids.”
Today, Rites of May continues to remain a Lab tradition, despite having evolved significantly from its original purpose. Even so, Ms. Ambrosini remembers the past event as a way for all students to spend time together.
“I’d ask everyone in the high school to be involved,” Ms. Ambrosini said. “Everyone was involved.”
ALabParent • May 16, 2026 at 5:17 pm
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