SusCo's First Event: Harvest Festival

This past Saturday, the Sustainability Council and the Big Red Farm hosted their first Harvest Festival outside of the Tsai Field House. Aside from showcasing the Farm’s crops, the fall festival celebrated gratitude, spending time with family and friends, and sustainability at Lawrenceville. 

Originally scheduled for September 28 but postponed due to inclement weather, the turnout of the festival “really benefited from the nice outdoor environment,” as Sustainability Council Events Co-Leader Louise Carroll ’26 concluded. 

Indeed, the event fulfilled its essential idea of “creating a space for students to engage with sustainability in a fun, low-commitment way,” said Student Council Sustainability Representative Riley McKibben ’25. 

Together, the two Council leaders prioritized taking a sustainable approach to the event. They composted the pulp from the pumpkin carving station, baked the apple pies in the Abbott Dining Room the night before, and sourced eco-friendly dog treats for the winners of the dog show. Carroll hoped the Sustainability Council’s first event of the year would “make a great first impression on new students” and “blend sustainable programming with fun fall activities so that [the Council] could reach a wider audience and educate more people.” McKibben’s favorite part was the apple pies, as she cheerfully remarked, “We wished to showcase the organic apples grown on campus, and what better way to do so if not with pie?” 

At the festival, there were free donuts, apple cider, and homemade apple pies with whipped cream. After harvesting the apples over the summer with student interns, the dining hall staff supported the event by composing recipes and baking the tasty apple pies. Students and faculty had the opportunity to buy fresh produce and wildflowers from the Big Red Farm produce stand. Other highlights included a pumpkin carving contest, a station to paint mason jars, a hay ride to the Big Red Farm, and carnival games. 

“The donuts [were] really good,” described festival attendee Mason Barnes ’28, 

Xolani Alyssa Munoko ’28 agreed and added, “I’ve never carved a pumpkin before…so that's fun.”  

At the end of the festival, students gathered on the grass to watch a faculty dog show, where each participating faculty member and their dressed-up dog competed for prizes such as “best costume” and “most moving story.” 

Hosted during a season to show love and gratitude for the people around us, the Harvest Festival is meaningful for many. The Sustainability Council at Lawrenceville looks forward to celebrating more events related to sustainability and environmental awareness.