Coachella can be pretty pricey and so can food, but on March 12, from 4-9 p.m. Aguora High School’s International Baccalaureate Program is combining both into a less-expensive I-Baby Coachella  event they like to call the Munch Madness International Street Fair.

For $5 pre-order, $7 at the gate or free for children four and under, participants can purchase a ticket to enjoy the “best ever” entertainment lineup, according to Agoura High School IB Coordinator and 2004 California Lutheran University alumna Carrie McClellan.

The music lineup will include American Idol contestant Jaq MacKenzie, The Sposato Brothers, Flood Zone and more.

“We are especially excited about our entertainment lineup this year that we are calling an I-Baby Coachella,” McClellan said. “Munch Madness attendees will have the opportunity to see a variety of bands and artists at what will certainly be the best street party of the year.”

Sixteen-year-old MacKenzie, who just missed a spot in American Idol’s top 24, recently released her original song “I Tell You” and its lyric video to YouTube. Her EP “101” is also available on iTunes.

The 15-year-old Sposato Brothers have their newest song “Escalate” on YouTube along with other originals such as “Teen Destruction (Hot Burrito!).”

According to Emma Tynan, Agoura High School senior, IB student and event helper, the Spotaso Brothers recently performed with Paul Stanley from the band “Kiss.”

Flood Zone is a four-man band based in Los Angeles, California with their songs “Emily,” “Anyway” and “Say Goodbye” on Soundcloud.

Food trucks will park at Agoura High School to offer a variety of entrees including India Jones Chow Truck, which serves a variety of curries, lamb, pork and Indian breads. Apollo’s Expresso and Shave Ice, will be serving  exactly what the name suggests. Baby’s Badass Burgers, which serves original burgers as well as veggie and turkey burgers. The Grilled Cheese Truck serves anything from a cheesy mac melt to a French onion soup melt and more.

All of the food is sold separately.

“Munch Madness is Agoura High School’s International Baccalaureate Program’s most important fundraiser,” McClellan said. “But more than that, it is an opportunity to bring the community together while highlighting an incredible program at a great school.”

The IB program is a set of higher level courses offered to juniors and seniors at Agoura High School and worldwide.

By taking these higher-level courses, students can earn an IB certificate for each class they take or graduate with an IB diploma.

“The AHS International Baccalaureate Educational Program’s Mission is to provide a world-class education that develops inquiring, knowledgeable, and caring young people with adaptable skills to tackle society’s complex challenges and who will help to make a better, more peaceful world,” McClellan said. “IB students complete an interdisciplinary educational program, which emphasizes both breadth and depth of knowledge.”

As the sixth-annual Munch Madness event, this street fair will help raise money for Agoura High School’s IB program.

“Our program is really expensive to run,” Tynan said. “We do get some money from the districts, but this [event] money goes toward lab equipment and other stuff we need in the classroom.”

In addition, Tynan said the ticket money also aids in paying for IB teachers’ certifications as well as sending them to conferences to maintain their knowledge of the program and its specifications.

“The IB Parent Association endeavors to raise approximately $50,000 each year to provide for IB exam scholarships for students in need, IB teacher trainings and community building events for IB students,” McClellan said. “Munch Madness has historically been the major fundraising event that has provided for these needs.”

 Although much of the planning is done by IB parents and teachers, other seniors help with tying together the loose ends of the street fair.

“I’ve kind of been the liaison between our coordinator, McClellan, and the students,” Tynan said. “I’ve been organizing the kids to get them into booths. I’ve been helping out a little bit with the publicity and the tweeting and making commercials for our school TV station.”

Through selling tickets, organizing students and putting together the music lineup, the students gain hands-on, real-world experience that goes beyond the classroom—and that is what the IB program emphasizes.

“Munch Madness represents the essence of what Agoura’s High International program is all about,  thinking out of the box and applying what you know to impact and enrich the lives of others,” McClellan said.  “By creating an appetite for fun, organizers are striving to raise enough money to keep the AHS IB program thriving.  IB students and parents will be working together and volunteering their help at the event.”

The event is open to the public. Any student at Cal Lutheran is encouraged by IB students to attend.

“This sounds like a really great event for an important cause,” Cal Lutheran sophomore Jacob Jasper said. “IB is a great program to help students develop the skills they need to be contributing members of society and it sounds like it would be a lovely evening.”

To purchase tickets, go to agouramunchmadness.com.

Rachael Balcom
Staff Writer
Published March 9th, 2016