The annual Bucknell Spooktacular event is hosted each year by the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs in collaboration with Panhellenic and Inter-Fraternity Councils, and the remainder of the Greek Life community. 

Providing local children with an opportunity for safe trick or treating, preparation and planning for Spooktacular has been ongoing since the beginning of the year.

Each semester the Greek community comes together for at least one large service event like Spooktacular. In the spring they host their annual Greek Week with various activities giving back to the community. These events require participation from every active chapter to fulfill the service pillar of their organizations.

With about 50 percent of the eligible Bucknell population participating in Greek Life, their existence is very well known amongst the town and University. Their governing documents and standards stress the importance of positive service contributions making events like these an important aspect of their presence in the community.

This year’s Spooktacular will feature various trick or treating tables decorated and operated by different on campus fraternity and sorority chapters. With over 150 Greek Life volunteers the event will also have inflatables, arts and crafts tables, temporary tattoos, yard games and more. 

Each chapter that will be present at Spooktacular had the opportunity to choose their table theme. The Chi Phi fraternity will display their superheroes theme while Alpha Delta Pi sorority will follow a princess theme. Other table themes include Halloweentown, candy corn, mummies, cowgirls, pirates and skeletons.

Thus far throughout the month of October there have been ongoing sales of Spooktacular T-Shirts designed by VP of Education, Advocacy, and Activism on the Panhellenic Council Noelia Vargas. Shirts have been used to build excitement around the event within the community and proceeds from sales will be donated to the Lewisburg Children’s Museum.

The VPs of Programming work closely with Nellie Forker, Assistant Director of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs, Olivia Libby, Director of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs, and Julia Leighow, Associate Director of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs, to coordinate and prepare for the event. The IFC VP of Programming Will Scott ’24 and Panhel VP of Programming Jackie Silvers ’23 both took time to speak on their intentions for Spooktacular.

“The goal of spooktacular is to give back to the families that allow us to do so much here,” Scott said.

“The entirety of the greek community wants to come together and put on an afternoon of fun and games for kids so they can enjoy their halloween to the fullest. We are expecting hundreds of people to attend so it should be a ton of fun.”

“I couldn’t be more excited for Spooktacular,” Silvers said. 

“It will be a great opportunity for Bucknell’s Greek community to connect with the Lewisburg community,” Silvers continued. “With the help of every fraternity and sorority on campus, we want to provide children and their families a safe and fun environment to trick or treat in. Over well over 100 students in Greek life signed up to volunteer. We are also so excited to be supporting the Lewisburg Children’s Museum by selling shirts to commemorate the event. The museum is a place within our community that has been a wonderful resource for children and their families so we’re happy to help their efforts.”

When asked why events like Spooktacular are important to the Bucknell Greek Life community Gwen Scopelliti ’24 shared.

“Volunteering and service are a large part of our sorority experiences,” Scopelliti said. “While our individual chapters host our own philanthropy events and participate in other forms of service, having the Greek Life community come together for an event like this shows our dedication to giving back. It’s great to see that we’ll be able to make Halloween extra fun for some local kids.”

“We really encourage our new members to get involved with all Greek service events like these,” Paul Monaco ’23 said. “It is a great way to jumpstart their involvement in the community and emphasize the importance of our service participation.”

Spooktacular will be taking place outside at the McDonald Commons Lawn, 560 Christy Mathewson Dive, on Sunday, Oct. 30 from 1-3 p.m. The rain location for the event will be in the Davis Gym located on Moore Avenue.