If you have encountered a giant prairie dog on campus during the past few weeks, do not be alarmed. It is promoting the second annual Laughing Prairie Dog Festival, which will take place May 8 at the Canopy Club in Urbana.

Festival organizers are altering marketing strategies for this year’s concert, including an increase in promotions. Organizers are also aiming to improve areas where the first festival came up short, said Nick Jones, program director at WPGU and Illini Media employee.

Southern Comfort and H20 Salon are sponsoring the event. The inaugural festival lacked big name sponsors.

“Doing anything for the first time is never easy. There were some weaknesses that were kind of exposed just from the internal side, setting things up and promoting it,” Jones said.

“So we’re trying to do a better job of that and branding it a little better through different imaging and different media.”

In addition to renting a large prairie dog costume, five different types of posters have been created, artists’ profiles have been updated online and commercials have been running on television. Show headliner Joe Pug recently was interviewed on a WPGU radio show and Jones said he expects more bands to promote the show in the same way. The event will come as a welcome break for students cramming for their final exams, Jones said.

“It is a great way to let off some steam during finals week and enjoy incredible live music from bands around the Midwest,” he said.

Some students agree the festival could provide leisure time from finals.

“It would be a nice way to take a break, but I don’t know if I would be willing to pay 10 dollars,” said Pat Conn, junior in ACES.

Organizers wanted to get local bands but also implied that money plays a value in choosing the bands.

“It depends on the budget first of all and once we get that from the higher-ups here, we are able to figure out who fits into that budget,” said Tom Pauly, external music director at WPGU and Illini Media employee.

Joe Pug, singer-songwriter from Chicago, is joined by Yourself and the Air, an indie band also from Chicago. Jookabox, a band based in Indianapolis and New Ruins, a local indie band, will also be playing.

Students from Sigma Chi fraternity will be the opening act after winning Frattle of the Bands, a competition between bands that took place at Kam’s during the last few weeks.

Jones said this semester’s lineup features musicians from every different genre, something that was absent from the previous festival.

“I think it is going to work to our advantage to have such a diverse package of music,” Jones said.

Though organizers have increased promotions, Jones said it is too early to tell if it will result in higher ticket sales compared to the inaugural festival.