Story by MALEAH GRIFFIN Photos by PARKER NISBETH Video by NICK McCOY
Tiger Media Network
Fall fun and spectacular scares were in store on the Fort Hays State University campus on Thursday as Fall Fest, the Halloween Hoedown, and Fright Night took place on campus. Tables of crafts and snacks accompanied a Trunk-or-Treat across from the Memorial Union, scarers took their places in The Quad, and the Ag Department wrangled up some animals at the Robbins Center. Student Engagement put on this event “with the goal of helping students make unforgettable memories through a thrilling haunted house and fun fall activities.”
Fall Fest provided a caramel apple bar stocked with chocolate, caramel, and an entire range of toppings, as well as festive crafts, including decorable glass tumblers, stampable leather keychains, and paintable mini pumpkins. This year, Trunk-or-Treat was introduced; student organizations passed out candy to members of the community, allowing them to formulate connections. Jessalyn Kirchoff, president of the International Business Club shared about the event.
“I love giving back to the community and events like this, especially with the kids coming by, getting to hand out candy, and seeing all the costumes,” she said.
Her personal favorite holiday is Halloween, and she showed it with her remarkable aviation costume, as well as the club’s decorative trunk, and their welcoming interactions with the kids.
Fall Fest swing 
A family dressed up for Fall Fest 
A kid shooting a nerf gun 
A mother and her kid dressed as minions 
A mother and her son at Fall Fest 
A kid making a custom cup 
An organization giving candy out at Fall Fest 
An organization giving candy out at Fall Fest 
Kirchhoff hands out candy at the Trunk-or-Treat 
An organization setting up for fall fest 
A student making a personalized cup 
A student making a leather key ring 
A pair of students making matching cups 
Nearby, the new tradition of Fright Night came to life for the first time. The open, walk-through-style haunted house consisted of tarped tents trailed in a loop, filled with smoke and fog, eerie scenes, and student scarers. Disfigured faces concealed in dark corners and fog-engulfed locations, running chainsaws, and lurking monsters gave guests a frightfully spectacular time. An inviting clown with a wicked smile said, “It has been really fun. We’ve been preparing for weeks and anticipated it being a pretty big event.”
Brett Meyer with Student Engagement confirmed the amount of preparation needed to make sure the event went well.
“Planning for this event has been extensive,” he said. “We created a map, gathered supplies, and secured donations to make sure it’s a success.”
The scarers felt that, in the future, it could be a more thrilling experience in the dark, but it was great to have it correlate with Fall Fest.
Between these two events, a hayrack ride provided relaxing trips around the area, as well as transportation, stopping at the Halloween Hoedown. Cows and goats greeted little ones, and games awaited to be played, including miniature hay bale toss, a can toss, Nerf shooting, and ring toss. A worker accompanying the heifers stated, “We really just hope to reach the community members, spend time and engage with them, and spread positivity while sharing the news of agriculture with everybody.”
When asked about their favorite costumes they had seen out of the creative variety worn by the young trick-or-treaters, another group from the organization said it would definitely be Anxiety and Sadness from “Inside Out 2.” While some stood out amongst the crowd, many young characters, heroes, animals, and monsters filled the events, having a festive night and interacting with the students and activities they hosted. Two little kids exclaimed with much enthusiasm that their favorite parts of the night were the hayrack ride and the tasty snacks.
The evening was filled with festive delight for kids and college students alike, providing opportunities for organizations and students to connect with the community and give children a positive evening to remember. The smile on a little fox’s face paired with excited jumping up and down, and the tables full of college peers spending time together and concentrating on their crafts, showed it all.