At the University of Connecticut, there’s no better way to welcome the cold season than with other students at the HuskyTHON Fall Fest, which was hosted on Friday, Oct. 17, on Fairfield Way. Like other HuskyTHON events, Fall Fest is a fundraising event for Connecticut Children’s, a Children’s Miracle Network Hospital. Fall Fest features food trucks, games and vendors from local businesses.
The event ran from 1 to 4 p.m., during which Fairfield Way was lined with vendor tables supporting local businesses such as Happy Dinosaur and Here For You Clothing, as well as student vendors like Salty Shore, Covr’d Cookies, Gabby’s Crafts and even UConn’s very own Horticulture Club. Most businesses sold craftwork — crocheted animals and beaded jewelry, mainly — or homemade baked goods.
Emily Dubin, a seventh-semester human development and family sciences major, hosted a table selling her crocheted goods, saying that “I was super excited to bring my local business here to Fall Fest and get visibility by letting other students see my work.”
This year, HuskyTHON collaborated with Chick-fil-A, hosting the beloved chicken restaurant’s food truck at the top of Fairfield Way. Students were so excited for this collaboration that the line was already down the street well before the event even began and continued to grow until it closed. Chick-fil-A will be donating a percentage of their sales from the day to support HuskyTHON.
Other food trucks that attended the event include Travelin’ Tom’s Coffee and All Belgium Waffles, which offered cozy fall delicacies.
Fall Fest’s star game this year was pumpkin smashing, which delighted both students and families alike. Other activities included pumpkin painting and yard games.
“Fall Fest is one of my favorite events in the way that we are able to bring together our community through a fun filled afternoon,” said Paige O’Keefe, HuskyTHON’s vice president of communications, in an email. “From an organizer’s point of view one of my favorite aspects of Fall Fest is its ability to draw in anyone from campus. We have food trucks and vendors from across Connecticut who come to sell clothes, baked goods, jewelry, stuffed animals, plants and more. Each one tends to a diverse group of people’s interests.”
O’Keeffe is particularly fond of how many people Fall Fest can attract.
“HuskyTHON events are always open to anyone who wants to join us, but Fall Fest in particular tends to draw more from the general UConn student body as well as HuskyTHON community,” explained O’Keeffe. “Especially for those of us who love the fall weather, being outside with friends, doing a little shopping, and even smashing pumpkins, Fall Fest is a must attend!”
Nora Casey, HuskyTHON vice president of international relations, shared similar thoughts.
“Fall Fest is one of my favorite events in the way that we are able to bring together our community through a fun-filled afternoon,” said Casey. “We aren’t asking our participants to fundraise or buy tickets; we are simply putting together vendors, food trucks, and activities for them to enjoy. It spreads awareness to anyone in the UConn community just walking through Fairfield Way about HuskyTHON and our mission.”
Fall Fest provides unique opportunities for even HuskyTHON staff to get involved. Casey said that “This event also allows our Morale team to get more involved in the actual running of the events, as they can be seen spreading our mission, smashing pumpkins, selling plants, and just having a great time.”
Among this team is Morale Captain Shane Sullivan, who is also a campus affairs captain for HuskyTHON. He said, “I feel like Fall Fest is here to do three things: one, raise money; two, raise awareness and three, raise hype.”
Last year, HuskyTHON shattered records by raising over $2.1 million for the patients and families at Connecticut Children’s. This year, they’re aiming higher.
“The most exciting part of being able to host this event is being able to engage the student body,” said Sullivan. “I think Fall Fest presents many fun ways for us to do that.”
Sullivan said he believes that events like these that allow HuskyTHON to engage with the UConn community directly foster a great image for HuskyTHON, which helps to spread the organization’s message and raise funds.
HuskyTHON is currently hosting their annual Fall Miracle Cup, which began on Sunday, Oct. 19 and will run until Wednesday, Oct. 22, and includes activities such as Square Peg Trivia and a 3v3 Basketball Tournament, the latter of which requires registration on the HuskyTHON website.