Friday, Oct. 25 was a night of back-to-back Halloween festivities that brought the spooky spirit to Bucknellians. Just Desserts, held from 7-9 p.m., was a sweet way to end the week with snacks and treats; it was followed by Spooky Paint & Sip, an opportunity to get crafty and relax.
Just Desserts, hosted by Bucknell’s CORE club at the CAP Center, invited students to come down to the first floor of the ELC to see the mall lined with never-ending sweet treats—lava cakes, rice krispy treats, a dirt cup bar, ice cream floats and cake pops. All the choices had that Halloween touch, with spooky edible accouterment. Cooper Kendrick ’26, reflecting on his love of the Desserts event, expressed, “Everyone always loves free food and pairing it with a holiday makes it even better. Overall just a great, easy, chill event.”
Among these desserts, students had the opportunity to engage in a variety of Halloween-themed activities. One of the greatest hits was a series of guessing jars. Students had three chances to be a lucky winner; three “prize jars” were in play, one of candy corn, one of eyes and one of bones. Prizes included Halloween-themed stuffed animals, and as the crown jewel of the offerings, one winner was lucky enough to win a recognizable IKEA bear. “I really enjoyed guessing the candy jars and I [was hoping I would win] one of the prizes like that funny IKEA bear. It would [have been] fun if I [were to win] one of the Halloween Squishmallows too,” shared Mika Plankenhorn ’28.
Those who wanted to engage with a beloved childhood tradition and live out the iconic Halloween activity had the chance to “trick-or-treat” through a table full of every candy imaginable. Whether students preferred chocolate or gummy treats, there was something available for everyone.
The Friday night Halloween festivities did not stop there. The CAP Center also had a Spooky Paint & Sip night at Uptown, slightly overlapping with Just Desserts. From 8 p.m. to 12 a.m., students could paint and customize Halloween LED decorations while enjoying music, snacks and a photo booth.
The food available included tortilla chips and dip, antipasti skewers, sweet & sour meatballs and pita chips with a cannoli dip. These snacks, as well as the music, kept the energy high throughout the event. Bucknellians in attendance had the choice between painting ghosts, pumpkins and cats; there were a few additional options, too, to live up to the spooky theme. Ava D’Arcy ’28 enjoyed the atmosphere each aspect combined to create, commenting that she “loved the music, [and] thought it added to the painting vibes.”
Students were able to document the night and take some pictures at a creepy photo booth backdrop with Halloween props. The event went on for hours, and as students completed their painting projects and waited for them to dry, they enjoyed Uptown ping pong and pool.
Many students were happy to be able to feel that spooky, Halloween atmosphere in preparation for the holiday. Allie Saylor ’28, for example, “loved that there [were] so many Halloween activities that helped [her] get into the spirit. [She] had a lot of fun!”
Just Desserts and Spooky Paint & Sip brought a fun-filled Friday night to campus to kick off the week of Halloween, eat some great treats and let the creativity flow.
