Fall Fest is an annual school-sponsored event that is usually highly anticipated and well-attended. This year Fall Fest was held on Sept. 11, and it was no exception.

Fall Fest was held on the Sojka Lawn in front of the Kenneth Langone Athletics & Recreation Center (KLARC) from 5-10 p.m. Good weather, with low humidity and sunny skies, helped boost attendance levels from last year, when rain resulted in the event being moved indoors. The main performers Matt and Kim drew a huge crowd this year. Director of Campus Activities and Programs Michael Duignan said that a veteran Public Safety officer told him that “it was one of the largest crowds he could remember.”

The Campus Activities and Programs (CAP) Center planned and prepared many activities, games, and food options for the event. There were carnival games, rides, a mechanical bull, inflatables, and photo booths.

Perhaps the most anticipated part of the event for many students was the free food. In addition to the barbecue dinner that the University’s Dining Service provided, there were also carnival-style snacks, such as snowcones, cotton candy, fried oreos, funnel fries, and the Flying Bison’s famous nacho tots.  

Josh Popkin ’18 and Andrew Capuano ’18 kicked off the festivities as the co-MCs, offering the audience a laugh in between sets as well as introductions for each performer. Entertainment leading up to the headliners was provided by the students, including Irish step dancing, acoustic and vocal performances, and even violinists. DJ Elias ChonChon (Elias Strizower ’17) also made an appearance and ended the night of student performers.

“I’m a big Elias ChonChon fan, so it was awesome to see him perform,” Popkin said.

Matt and Kim were the main performers for the event. Known for their songs “Daylight,” “Let’s Go,” and “Good Ol’ Fashion Nightmare,” they performed about 15 songs total, which included a mix of covers and originals.

“A comment we continuously heard was that Matt and Kim really interacted with the crowd and provided a true party atmosphere. One student said they had never heard of Matt and Kim, but after seeing their performance, they are going to be on the top of their playlist,” Duignan said.

Many students felt that Fall Fest was a great opportunity to get the first tastes of fall and enjoy everything the season has to offer.

“I love being able to get together with my friends and enjoy the fall at Bucknell,” Becky Tanner ’18 said.

Moving the event from Saturday to Friday night proved to be a smart move by the CAP Center, as attendance levels were high and reception was positive.

“A number of students told me that they felt this Fall Fest had something for everyone. There was a mix of talented student performers, a variety of rides and games, and Matt and Kim provided a perfect headliner,” Duignan said.

Duignan said that one of the only criticisms he heard was that “some students wished the food choices continued after 8 p.m.” 

The CAP Center hopes to create a new student committee this year to see what changes and improvements they can come up with for Fall Fest next year, and future events in the semester.

“Overall it was a lot of fun. There was good food, student performers killed it, and the MCs were really good-looking” Popkin said.