The yard was decorated with hay bales, brightly colored leaves and pumpkins, and lined with rows of vendors with different handmade items to sell or crafts to participate in. Items like pottery, beaded jewelry, crocheted crafts and face painting were just some of the many things sold by vendors. Beside vendor stands were picnic tables set up for holiday crafts like pumpkin painting. The Asbury community brought in the fall season with the Student Activities Cabinet’s (SAC) annual harvest festival on the Aldersgate Green last Saturday night. It was an evening full of fun, laughter and all things fall.
Various food and sweet Halloween treats, like candy apples, caramel, cinnamon rolls and candy corn, were abundantly provided at the festival. Aldergate also had tables set up with crockpots full of chili for their chili cookoff competition. The different chilis were made by all Aldergate residents, and the community could taste and vote on their favorite one. The winner for first place and people’s choice was the Stoner family with their “Stoner Family Chili.” Second place went to a group from the Thacker apartment with their “G.A.L.S. Chili.” Third place went to junior Ellie Haseloff and her team’s chili, “The Texas Rev.”
Along with items to buy, crafts to do and food to eat, the yard was set up with games like cornhole and a potato sack race. Some contestants were competitive and many laughed as they fell over jumping around in sacks as they raced.
The breezy night was illuminated by the soft glow of string lights and the sound of an acoustic guitar and singing filled the cool, autumn air. Children ran around the yard, candy in hand, decked out in their costumes. Kresge Hall’s event Kresge Kandyland coincided with the festival. The dorm was decked out with various escape rooms, full of fun puzzles to solve and candy waiting at the end for making it out of the maze.
The Harvest Festival is an event involving the whole Wilmore community, offering a space for people to enjoy the Halloween holiday.
Dalton Fleshood, a senior involved in SAC, said “The harvest festival is the greatest event of the semester. I love how everybody has come together. It feels so community centered and involves the whole Wilmore community as well. I love watching friends and families with kids running around enjoying themselves.”
“I love how this event is for all ages. There is something for everyone to do. This event also allows everyone to see the artistic abilities of students and gives them an opportunity to sell their work. The Harvest Festival just really brings the whole community together to celebrate,” Liz Louden, resident director of Glide-Crawford said.
The festival has also been a great opportunity for creative Asbury students to show off their talents with friends and community as well as a chance for them to sell their crafts.
Asbury junior Emma Farrell, who was a vendor at the festival, said “As a small business and local artist, this is a great opportunity to show off my work and get to know other artists. I love the feel of these cozy, small-town events.”
The 2024 Harvest Festival was a success and the perfect way to celebrate the beautiful changing of the seasons with friends, family and community. For more information on upcoming SAC events, be sure to visit their Instagram (@asbury_sac).
