Fall Fest Recap

Photos: Valerianne Hinkley, Journalism Club Member

October 27, 2023

Valerianne Hinkley, Journalism Club Member

This past weekend UMF students enjoyed a weekend of events across campus with their friends and family. Student Life’s Family & Friends Fall Fest went on with events all day Saturday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

There were about 360 people in attendance for this year’s festivities. Judith Peary-Adams, the event coordinator, ordered 204 kits for build a beaver this year since it ran out so quickly in previous years.

Although extra supplies were ordered, there were many events that ran out of supplies a half hour to an hour after their start times, including gourd painting, ceramics painting, and build a beaver. Rustic Elegance sign making had only 50 spots available for families and was filled within a half hour.

Although this means the events were a huge success, it also meant that some families were left without anything to do on Saturday morning. 

Peary-Adams said “The only thing that I was disappointed in myself, is that I thought that I had enough ceramics and enough gourds to last the day and they were gone quickly”

Many families enjoyed the petting zoo on Mantor Green. There were alpacas, goats, a pony, a donkey, and bunnies. The owners brought food in small cups for families to feed the animals and provided a hand sanitizer stand for people to use after touching the animals.

Emma McCray and Haley Sewell, two sisters, said their favorite animal at the petting zoo was “the bunnies”

Big Ticket Bingo was located in the North Dining Hall and all of the tables were full of families. Each round of bingo featured a different type of bingo that you had to get on your board to win, with the final round being Blackout Bingo.

Later in the evening on Saturday, Magician Bently Burns performed in Lincoln Auditorium. 

Catherine Townsend, McCray and Sewell’s grandmother, said the event that they were most looking forward to was “the magician”

Peary-Adams is also looking for an event to add to next year on Friday evening. Students can share ideas through a Padlet.