On Friday, Oct. 28, the Corps of Cadets will host its annual Regiments Fall Festival from 5-10 p.m.
Students, families and community members are invited to enjoy fall festivities and a haunted house in the heart of the Quad. The event started in 2019 and is entirely planned and put on by the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Regiments of the Corps.
Nuclear engineering senior and 3rd Regiment Officer Providence Andrews said the event is a way for the community to view and connect with the Corps in a more relaxed atmosphere.
“It’s a great opportunity for people to interact with the Corps in a less formal fashion,” Andrews said. “My staff is dressing up in Halloween costumes for this event. It’s nice to get out of the khakis.”
Civil engineering senior and 2nd Regiment Officer Caroline Slaughter said the event is also a great way for cadets of different outfits and regiments to become more involved with each other.
“The Corps pushes the cadets to get involved in these roles,” Slaughter said. “It’s a way for the staff to have a job and a purpose and get all the regiments together. I communicate with the first and 3rd Reg[iment] in planning this event. Usually, I wouldn’t, but because of the Fall Fest, I get to reach out and work with other people.”
The haunted house is a unique aspect to the Fall Festival planned specifically by the 3rd Regiment. The event will take place on the Quad in Kiest Hall. The planning process for the haunted house started months in advance, Andrews said.
“I started thinking about what we were going to do [last] summer,” Andrews said. “I was also a part of the staff as public relations sargeant last year. I watched my officer go through the motions and plan everything. I really enjoyed it, so I already started thinking about it as it ended last year.”
Only cadets a part of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd regiments are involved in putting on the Fall Festival. However, all cadets will attend with the number of festivities the regiments have planned, Slaughter said.
“There is going to be a dunk tank,” Slaughter said. “Cadet trained officers have signed up to be dunked. Many who signed up are Army and Airforce, so many army and air force cadets are going to attend and try to dunk them. There is also a pumpkin patch, ring toss, more carnival games, a costume contest taking place and the haunted house.”
Patrons take part in the activities with a number of tickets they purchase at the entry. All proceeds benefit the regiments putting on the festival. The Corps halted the event in fall 2020 due to COVID-19. Since then, the Corps has planned to grow the celebration and is ready for its biggest fall festival yet, Slaughter said.
“The past years are nowhere near as big as what we have planned for this year,” Slaughter said.
You can learn more about the Regiments Fall Festival at their website.