This year the Fall Fest was along Alumni Way from 2-5 p.m. on Saturday, allowing all the venders to be spread out in a festive line below red piper streamers. Some booths included balloon animals, face painting, decorating cookies and sketch artists.

Music from Hamline Jazz band and Duly Noted serenaded the festivities. Trapeze artists from Twin Cities Trapeze Center lightened the mood with tricks in the Cyr wheel, a round hoop which Russell Harris spun around in the middle of, and Katie Kimball gracefully used the static trapeze.

Wrapping around campus was Disc Golf, set up by the Rec Desk in Walker Fieldhouse. There were six holes that started at Alumni way and went all the way around Old Main. Other games were also provided by the Rec Desk, like Bean Bag Toss, The Ladder Game, and Giant Jenga.

Catering provided the apples and caramel, popcorn, cookie decorating and apple cider booths.

On the other side of campus at the tennis courts was Archery Tag, run by Impact Entertainment, a family run business from Stewartville, MN. The rules are like dodgeball, but instead of balls, you try to hit the other team with foam tipped arrows. The games would go up to fifteen points. They also had Hover Ball, which is a tiny ball hovering over a jet of air for students to use as target practice.

“It [Archery Tag] was fun. More of a work out than I expected.” Paige Natela said, who had just finished a round of Archery Tag.

“The Fall Fest is geared for students to enjoy and also for families to come,” Alumni Relations Director Molly Glewwe said. “It was important for us to have this to be a community event.”

Glewwe was very excited about the Fall Fest being on Alumni way for the first time. She said she liked the outside feel. She hopes to have it on Alumni Way again next year.

There were also tours around campus that were offered including a Behind the Scenes Theater Tour, a Historical Tour of Campus, and six other tours.

This year “Homecoming is a lot bigger,” Anna Benker from the Homecoming Committee said. “We wanted to make a change this year and make homecoming visible. We’re trying to get the homecoming committee to become a chartered org.”

“[We have] Plans to make it bigger and better,” Benker said

President Miller was excited by HUSK’s school spirit and all of the Piper decorations and artwork around campus. “Show your school spirit. That’s what homecoming is about. Showing your school spirit. I love what they’ve [HUSC] done.”

Right after the Fall Festival from 5-8 p.m. was the Big Bash in Anderson. On the first floor two bands played as alumni and students mingled.

Local food was offered for the price of one ticket in Bishop’s Bistro. There were mac and cheese bites, tater tot nachos, cream puffs and lots more. For those 21 and over, there were local beers and wines offered on the third floor.

On the first floor there were two bands that played. The Sawtooth Brothers, the two brothers being alumni from Hamline, and Ibaba, which was made up of alumni and professors from Hamline, played. On the third floor was a duet from Taylor Seaburg an alumni and senior Ryan Isler from Hamline.

Glewwe said that they tried to book bands who had a connection to Hamline for both the Fall Festival and the Big Bash.

“It’s great to see all the alumni back- There are amazing stories that they can tell.” Miller continued. She greeted old friends and alumni as they passed.  “There are a lot of people back celebrating their time here.”