Pumpkin paintings, line dancing and the cutest dogs to play with were just a few of the activities John Brown University students enjoyed at the “Fall Festival” that took place last Friday, Oct. 15 on the university’s quad to welcome the upcoming season.
The festival was a complete success, bringing in more people than the organizers expected. Student Event’s & Activities (SEA) assistant communication director, Laniese Penner, who was in charge of the organization for this event mentioned that by 6 p.m. they were already running out of caramel apples and pumpkins to paint. “I’m very happy with the turnout. We started to plan pretty early so we were able to get everything fairly well. There were a couple of last-minute things, especially like food and number of pumpkins that were difficult to get, but, overall, I think it went pretty well,” Penner said.
Despite the organizers’ initial concern for the weather, it ended up matching the vibes for the festival perfectly. “The only thing that had us worried was the weather. We didn’t want the rain to fall on us. In the end, though, it was perfect because it didn’t rain, but it was still pretty cold, and so everyone was able to wear their fall clothes, take out their sweaters and flannels and complete the aesthetic,” said SEA’s communication director, Carlos Cifuentes.
Just as the organizers anticipated, attendants deeply enjoyed wearing their favorite fall outfits and feeling the beginning of the season.
For freshman Sofia Santana, being able to wear her new favorite “fall sweater” for the first time was her favorite part of the day. “Being from El Salvador, this is my first time experiencing this type of weather and ambiance. I hadn’t had pumpkin pie before, nor had I ever sat down to paint [pumpkins]. The whole experience was lovely,” Santana shared. “I appreciate getting to experience American culture and seeing them have fun and dance because it is something I don’t see often,” added Santana in reference to the quad full of students’ line dancing.
For other students, the festival was a nice activity to spend quality time with friends and family. Sisters Sarah (eldest) and Meggie Duncan shared how the festival made them remember how great JBU events can be. “It reminded me that I want to come to JBU events because I love all the people and just the fun environment,” Sarah Duncan said.
Adding to what her sister said, Meggie Duncan highly valued that the festival not only brought students together but included local business. “I’m really enjoying all the activities they have—all the great things that bring people together—and it was a nice touch that [the festival] brought in the community, brought in businesses from Siloam,” she noted.
JBU students and the Siloam Springs community delighted themselves with other additional activities during the festival, which included listening to Maple Street Band’s gracious performance, participating in a hard-core archery tournament brought by Siloam’s Springs Arch & Axe or taking cute pictures with friends by the photo booth.