Be a part of the Enjoyable: Fall Fest welcomes college students, household to seasonal celebration

Saturday, Sept. 19, AMP hosted their Fall Fest on the Sunken Garden and gave the College of William and Mary a style of some cozy, seasonal traditions. Taking place throughout Family Weekend, the Fall Fest gave college students and their households an opportunity to wander between petting zoo pens, an inflatable corn maze and a kettle corn stand that includes inexperienced and gold treats. 

AMP plans quite a lot of occasions all year long for the campus neighborhood. The competition’s fall theme was deliberate, however the particular sights it boasted had been new. AMP strives to make every occasion completely different from the final to maintain up curiosity and engagement, shared Charlotte Calli ’28 and Tyler Hughson ’28, each members of AMP’s Special Events Committee.    

“We try not to repeat events too often, especially since people are here for four years. We don’t want you to have to go to the same event four times,” Calli stated. “So it’s not annual, but we always do something kind of fall-esque, just because, who doesn’t love a fall-themed event?”

Hughson shared that this was the primary yr the group had booked an inflatable corn maze. The petting zoo was one other distinctive addition that AMP doesn’t usually do however was a transparent fan favourite with attendees like Lydia Merritt ’27. 

“I really like the petting zoo,” she stated. “The silkie chickens, they’re to die for.”

AMP members dedicate their time to organizing free occasions just like the Fall Fest which may help construct campus bonds. 

“We do a lot of stuff for students so they can have a better experience and adjust to William and Mary in a range of different event styles,” Hughson stated.

According to Calli, engaged on the Special Events Committee entails flexibility, creativity and collaboration that make planning occasions particularly pleasing.

“I picked Special Events because there is no niche, and I like that we can do whatever we want,” she stated.

Cali stated the thought behind Fall Fest was to offer college students one thing they could be lacking out on or can’t simply entry on campus. 

“William and Mary students are bad at putting down whatever they’re doing and just prioritizing enjoyment, so we try to bring it to them. You don’t have to go anywhere,” Calli stated. “Plus, when people were at home, they could go to a pumpkin patch or go apple picking, which is not necessarily feasible at college. So we try to bring the things they miss from home to them.”

For pupil attendees, the attraction was so simple as free swag and enjoyable that solely required an informal, low dedication. 

“William and Mary students, we love free shirts. We love food,” Merritt stated. “I really like events like this where we can just pop in and pop out on our own accord, and there’s no insane attendance checking.” 

Timing the occasion over Family Weekend was additionally a strategic selection. AMP tries to host an occasion throughout Family Weekend yearly as a result of it attracts massive teams early within the fall semester. 

“It’s also a really great way for people to learn what AMP is, especially if they’re freshmen,” Calli stated. 

While Fall Fest comes early within the tutorial yr, the method behind planning every occasion begins lengthy earlier than the semester begins. For AMP, this typically begins with deciding an occasion’s theming earlier than reserving distributors and deciding on sights.

“We start with kind of a vibe, an aesthetic we want to achieve, but then also something to ground it,” Hughson stated.

From there, the group turns to an inventory of pre-approved distributors. However, sticking with these dependable contacts doesn’t at all times go in response to plan. For instance, the Fall Fest was meant to characteristic a hayride, however its vendor canceled final minute. The petting zoo and kettle corn stand additionally arrived late.

“We definitely have to adjust a lot when it comes to events, and that’s pretty common,” Hughson stated. “A lot of it is about flexibility and adaptability when it comes to these events, and I think events end up working well because we’re a good team to manage that.”

Despite these bumps within the highway, Calli spoke to the payoff of all their onerous work as she and the Special Events Committee watched college students get pleasure from one thing the workforce constructed. 

“You watch people have fun, and you know that all of the work you put into it pays off,” she stated. “It’s really worth it.”

Abhaya Tyrka ’27 was one such pupil. Besides the sights and distributors themselves, she loved how Fall Fest introduced within the broader Williamsburg neighborhood. 

“It makes you feel more connected to Williamsburg,” she stated.

AMP’s important measure of success is attendance weighed towards what an occasion prices. Feedback issues too, and it doesn’t need to be formal. In truth, it may be so simple as discovering an AMP member at an occasion to share one’s ideas. This kind of open dialogue helps the workforce higher form and plan occasions that attraction to the neighborhood. 

“Tell us what you hated, tell us what you love, because we can use that in the future and we can justify maybe repeating an event or justify asking for more money,” Calli stated. 

Both Calli and Hughson emphasised theirs and the workforce’s keen anticipation of the yr forward with enjoyable occasions on the horizon. This degree of engagement and dedication from AMP’s members isn’t misplaced on college students like Merritt, who’re keen to come back again to extra occasions.

“This was so fun,” she stated. “I hope they continue to do stuff like this in the future.”