Students showed up in droves to the Liberty Mountain Hydaway Outdoor Center Oct. 4 for Student Activities’ Fall Fest.
Starting at 5:30 p.m., students filed in for pumpkin painting. While the first 100 guests received a free pumpkin, any attendee could pick out and take home a pumpkin of their own for $2. Student Activities also provided an array of snacks, which included a build-your-own trail mix.
Student Activities Event Supervisor Hunter Bamba said this event was designed to bring students together to celebrate the changing season.
“This event serves as a way to kick off the autumn season,” Bamba said. For students living on campus, it can be difficult to find fun seasonal activities to do. Fall Fest is a way to help students truly get in the autumn spirit.”
Bamba said the Student Activities team’s goal when planning these events is to create a welcoming atmosphere for students.
“We want students to leave the event feeling entertained and with a sense of belonging at Liberty University,” Bamba said. “The semester is nearly halfway done, and if there are any students on the fence about whether they enjoy being here at Liberty, we hope this event helps them feel a little more at home.”
To support those without their own mode of transportation, students could catch the bus from Green Hall to Hydaway Outdoor Center.
“I saw (Fall Fest) as an advertisement at Liberty and just decided to show up, and it’s been super fun so far,” graduate student Gracie Quiring said.
Along with two food trucks offering drinks and snacks for sale, Student Activities provided seasonal pies free of charge. Some students also engaged in a pie-eating contest.
For attendees who wanted to compete with their friends, cornhole and Spikeball were set up in a field near the live music stage. Several inflatable games, ring toss and high striker were provided for entertainment.
Later that evening, student musicians took to the stage including country singers Ava Piland and Everett Hatter.
“This is my first time actually being (at Hydaway),” senior Denis Hernandez said. “It’s really nice to see everything. We took a walk beforehand, so I’m very excited to just see the area itself.”
Not only did the picturesque weather make for a memorable first-time trip to Hydaway Outdoor Center, but Fall Fest also looked a little different this year, as it was held outside instead of being located in the LaHaye Event Space like past years. This year marked the 15th annual Fall Fest, adding on to the expansive catalogue of campus-wide fall fun.
“(Events like Fall Fest) are super helpful because then I can just get to know other people and be involved in different things,” Quiring said. “I think it’s a little bit intimidating sometimes to be involved at a big school like this.”
For a full list of upcoming events from Student Activities, visit www.liberty.edu/sa.
Hagen is the feature editor for the Liberty Champion. Riden is the on-campus news editor for the Liberty Champion.