If you went to the football game Saturday and felt more high-spirited than usual, it may have been because of ETSU’s first fall festival.
On Saturday, Sept. 23, the ETSU Buccaneer football team beat the Mercer Bears in overtime at William B. Greene Jr. Stadium. This was the third home game of the season, the third opportunity to tailgate outside of the new stadium, but the first time to participate in the fall festival.
“We were originally going to plan a carnival,” said ETSU Buctainment Weekend Programmer Megan Todd. “With the time of the year and it being September, we thought it’d be a lot better. We thought it was going to be a little bit cooler outside, but you have to work with what you got.”
Though the temperature rose to a peak of 87 degrees, everyone seemed to have a good time in the shade. The addition of the fall festival with the tailgate met Todd’s expectations as far as a crowd goes. There were people all around grilling, talking and enjoying what the fall festival had to offer.
“I think it [tailgate] played a master factor,” Todd said. “I think that because there is already a lot of community support, especially from a lot of the fraternities and sororities out here who want to come and tailgate, and with it being the first year that football is actually on campus, I do believe that with that and the fall festival it actually worked out a lot more because it brings more of a crowd.”
The fall festival was put on by Buctainment and available for all ETSU campus clubs and organizations to participate in. The festival was held by the Lucille Clement Lawn from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
There were countless booths out, including a petting zoo, pumpkin painting and pin the spider. Many festive food and drinks were provided also, like Caramel Apple, Pumpkin Spice Latte and Orange Fall Punch.
“My hopes are that it will become an annual thing as the years go on,” Todd said.
