Students carved designs in pumpkins, ran 3-legged races, and ate donuts on a string this past Sunday at the annual Fall Festival at Fairfield Farm. While many students chose to take advantage of the shuttles that drove students to and from the festival, others joined the Outing Club and walked to the festival.
Other activities included an egg toss, viking chess, and a frying pan toss. These activities earned Olympian and Pythian points. Dining services provided a wide variety of snacks for community members, including hotdogs, popcorn, and cotton candy.
Additionally, Mrs. Wistar, director of student activities, provided her family’s fire pit, so everyone could roast marshmallows and hot dogs. Courtney Contiguglia ’21 said, “The festival is a great way to take your mind off of school, because you are able to relax and enjoy the fall season.”
A part of the festival that garnered attention in past years was hayrides, which meandered around the fields of the farm. However, hayrides were canceled this year because of the weather. Mrs. Wistar said, “[Rain] makes the ground soft, and when the tractor goes over the land, it leaves big ruts. Last year’s hayrides damaged land in the orchards and made mowing a challenge.”
The festival was organized to celebrate the harvest and the work Ms. Ellie Youngblood, Fairfield Farm manager, and the Fairfield Farm Ecosystems and Adventure Team (FFEAT) have done on the farm. Mrs. Wistar and Ms. Youngblood planned the festival with the help of FFEAT students, who spent afternoons at the farm this fall harvesting pumpkins and squash for the event.
Mrs. Wistar and Ms. Youngblood started planning the festival in early September. Mrs. Wistar noted that the Student Activities Advisory Committee did not help plan the event this year, but that the Student Activities Office is working towards increasing student input into events like the Farm Festival.
Students enjoyed spending their Sunday afternoons at the farm. Yuka Masamura ’21 said, “I loved watching everyone enjoy a nice Sunday at the farm; my favorite part of the entire festival was bobbing for apples.”
The next activity the student activities office is organizing is the Grit & Wit Field Day on Thursday, October 10.