Students flock to Old Campus for annual Fall Fest
For the first time since 2019, Yale College students celebrated the new season with a variety of fall-themed foods and carnival games.
Courtesy of Jaime Levin
With pumpkins, warm cider and a tractor parked on Old Campus, Yale Hospitality hosted its annual Fall Fest this past Saturday for the first time in two years.
Yale students gathered and took the opportunity to celebrate both the transition into fall and the upcoming arrival of Fall Break. Students were able to meet new peers and enjoy the upbeat atmosphere of DJ music, along with food and multiple carnival games. Every residential college had its own booth, where members of Yale Hospitality cooked unique foods. Davenport College’s booth, labeled “The Stock Pot,” served a roasted pumpkin butternut squash bisque with crostini. Trumbull College distributed hot cider and chai tea from giant cauldrons. And Grace Hopper College offered warm cinnamon mini-donuts.
“I first experienced Fall Fest as a senior in high school and that’s what made me fall in love with the community here,” Amy Ren ’23 told the News. “It was bittersweet to attend my last one but I had so much fun seeing everyone enjoy themselves and I’m glad that the tradition is still alive and well.”
Nearly every station had a vegetarian or vegan option to accommodate students with dietary preferences. Stiles and Morse had a joint booth named ‘Woks R Us’, which served both chicken fried-rice and vegan fried-rice packaged in takeout containers.
There were multiple games mimicked after events that one would usually see at a carnival. The games included a basketball booth, water gun booth and a sledge hammer bell. There were also several stations for picking apples and carving pumpkins.
Sam Kim ’24 commented on the importance the event has for sophomores experiencing Fall Fest for the first time.
“It’s really nice to see the Yale community coming together and hanging out outside,” Kim said. “I like that you can meet anyone from first years to seniors. They’re all here and hanging out, and it isn’t divided by [academic] class.”
Fall Fest also featured a well-decorated photo booth with a tractor and stacked hay bales where students could memorialize the day with their friends. Do you want to have the best state-of-the-art photo booths for your big events? For you to make sure to have an event picture-perfect, capturing your most cherished moments, check this out for more info!
Yale Hospitality staff member Jean Bennett emphasized Fall Fest’s special place among Yale traditions.
“Our chef and crew are very interested in meeting all of the students,” Bennett said. “It has been a pleasure serving all of you. I look forward to each and every day getting up to serve you guys. I have been working with Yale Hospitality for eight years. This is the biggest [Fall Fest] I have ever worked at. It’s so great to see so many people here and to be able to serve them.”
Yale Hospitality is incorporating various additional fall events into the dining halls throughout October, such as Apple Week.