Get your tickets meow: ‘Cat Video Fest 2023’ shows Oct. 19 at Arts West

'Cat Video Fest 2023' will accompany the Department of Art's open house the night of Thursday, Oct. 19. Tickets are on sale through the Elon Box Office with proceeds benefiting a local animal welfare group.

What do you get when you combine cat videos, taco trucks, cornhole and art? The purr-fect fall evening at Elon.

Cat Video Fest promotional image with a cat sitting in a theater seat wearing an orange sweater Cat Video Fest 2023,” a compilation of the internet’s latest and greatest cat videos, will have a special screening at Arts West on Thursday, Oct. 19, following the Department of Art’s open house. Along with the hiss-terically entertaining film, Las Gringas taco truck will serve up street-style tacos, and popcorn and other treats will be on sale.

Each year, “Cat Video Fest” is distributed around the globe, drawing crowds to theaters like catnip. Each showing raises money for animal welfare organizations.

Department chair Samantha DiRosa has been a “Cat Video Fest” fan for several years, visiting downtown Winston-Salem’s a/perture cinema to catch a showing each fall. She saw opportunity in combining a showing at Elon with an art department event to draw students and the general public to Arts West, as well as support local animal welfare groups.

Elon’s screening will be at 7 p.m. in the Arts West parking lot, 406 W. Haggard Ave. Tickets are available through the Elon Box Office and are $7 for students, $10 for faculty and staff and $15 for the general public. A portion of the proceeds will go to Sparkle Cat Rescue of Burlington, a non-profit, 501(c)(3) cat rescue that is 100% volunteer- and foster home-based.

Cat Video Fest promotional image of bread cat saying, 'It's gonna get ridiculous.'The art department’s open house begins at 6 p.m. at Arts West with raffles, games and prizes, galleries open to the public, student art on display and faculty on hand to preview winter and spring courses. The first 50 attendees get free tacos.

Food and other items can be purchased with cash or by Venmo. Las Gringas does not accept Phoenix Cash.