Dozens of ghosts, goblins, princesses, and pirates got a head start on Halloween at the annual Fall Fest, held at Eaglecrest High School on Oct. 26.
The annual event is an extravaganza of fall fun and attracted some 500 people from the Eaglecrest community. It featured Rowdy the Raptor, the EHS mascot, not-so-spooky decorations, and more than 50 stations set up by EHS clubs. At each one, youngsters could get a sweet treat and try their hand at a variety of creative games and activities. There was corn hole, “Smack a Soul,” a big blow-up bubble filled with balloons, and much more.
“I got to play video games with a grown-up!” enthused 8-year-old Cooper, who collected candy at each station and got a bow and arrow made of balloons.
Some stations were related to a club’s purpose. For example, the EHS choir hosted a karaoke booth, while the bell choir gave kids the chance to try their hand at bellringing.
“Some clubs are doing fishing for candy, and we did fishing for candy with chopsticks,” explained Duc-Tri Do, president of the EHS Pan-Asian Culture Club. He said the purpose of the Fall Fest is simple. “For us, it’s to show our school spirit and meet our community and to connect with parents and children.”
And connect they did, according to Cooper’s grandmother, Patti Parenti.
“Oh my gosh, it was the best!” she said. “All the interaction the kids had, plus I loved the way each club did something different.”
The event is sponsored by the EHS Activities Office and organized by EHS DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America) students.
“We start at the very beginning of the school year,” said DECA officer and EHS senior Kendall Hampton. Over the past few weeks, we’ve been making decorations and props to hang up. The clubs pick a game to play so the kids can get candy.”
DECA students will do a presentation on the Fall Fest at the DECA state competition and could earn the chance to go to the national competition in California in April.
The event was free to the public, but guests were asked to bring non-perishable food donations to support food banks in the Cherry Creek School District.
Posted 10/29/23.
