Nearly 2,000 tickets have already been handed out for Friday's event; safeguards have been implemented to prevent last year's catastrophe

With signed contracts in the hands of CatFest coordinators and inside venue secured to avoid bad weather and new additions to the festivities, CatFest 2002 is set Friday evening to erase memories of its troubled past.

Last year, the festivities were effectively spoiled when band Eve 6 sent the university a cancellation notice shortly before CatFest.

The concert will feature Goldfinger, Authority Zero and Eleventh Hour, and will be held in Centennial Hall for the first time to avoid bad weather.

Rain has been CatFest's most serious foe, dampening CatFest in 1999 and 2000.

This year, however, the festival to welcome students back to campus with a free concert and other events has undergone other major planning changes to ensure that the festival goes off as planned.

Signed contracts have been submitted to UA that legally bind the bands to perform Friday evening ÷ safeguards which did not happen last year, said Doug Hartz, president of student government, the Associated Students of the University of Arizona.

"We have as close to a guarantee as we can get this year that the bands will show up," Hartz said.

While it is comforting to CatFest coordinators to know that weather will not ruin this year's concert, there is a trade-off.

Seats, which will be available on a first come, first served basis, are limited because Centennial Hall has a 2,456-person capacity.

"It is unfortunate to have to put it inside because it takes away from the feel of the festival. But it is better to have a show inside than to not have a show at all," said Dana Verbin, University Activities Board concert director.

Students don't seem to mind.

Last year, about 300 students attended the concert after it was announced that Eve 6 had cancelled. This year, as of 3:00 pm on Tuesday, 1,777 free tickets had been distributed, said Sarah Calvert, special events coordinator for ASUA.

Organizers also hope to add a more personal touch to CatFest this year. After the concert, Goldfinger will hold an autograph session for fans.

Along with the concert, there will be a club exhibition out on the Mall for students to see the opportunities for involvement at UA.

Last year there were only around 10 club booths on the mall. This year 65 booths are registered, organizers said.

Unlike last year, the exhibition has been made a focus of this year's CatFest. More space has been reserved on the Mall to accommodate all the tables.

CatFest began in 1997 to welcome students back to school and, as Hartz said, "give them perspective on what it means to be a Wildcat."

The festival takes place this Friday night and is free, but tickets must be picked up for the concert at Centennial Hall. The club fair and various activities such as an inflatable obstacle course, an inflatable Slip 'N Slide and sumo wrestling begins at 3:00 p.m. Doors will open for the concert at 5:00 p.m. and the bands begin to perform at 5:30 p.m.