Saturday, Sept. 19, AMP hosted their Fall Fest on the Sunken Garden and gave the College of William and Mary a taste of some cozy, seasonal traditions. Taking place during Family Weekend, the Fall Fest gave students and their families a chance to wander between petting zoo pens, an inflatable corn maze and a kettle corn stand featuring green and gold treats.
AMP plans a variety of events throughout the year for the campus community. The festival’s fall theme was deliberate, but the specific attractions it boasted were new. AMP strives to make each event different from the last to keep up interest and engagement, shared Charlotte Calli ’28 and Tyler Hughson ’28, both members of AMP’s Special Events Committee.
“We try not to repeat events too often, especially since people are here for four years. We don’t want you to have to go to the same event four times,” Calli said. “So it’s not annual, but we always do something kind of fall-esque, just because, who doesn’t love a fall-themed event?”
Hughson shared that this was the first year the group had booked an inflatable corn maze. The petting zoo was another unique addition that AMP doesn’t typically do but was a clear fan favorite with attendees like Lydia Merritt ’27.
“I really like the petting zoo,” she said. “The silkie chickens, they’re to die for.”
AMP members dedicate their time to organizing free events like the Fall Fest which can help build campus bonds.
“We do a lot of stuff for students so they can have a better experience and adjust to William and Mary in a range of different event styles,” Hughson said.
According to Calli, working on the Special Events Committee entails flexibility, creativity and collaboration that make planning events especially enjoyable.
“I picked Special Events because there is no niche, and I like that we can do whatever we want,” she said.
Cali said the idea behind Fall Fest was to give students something they might be missing out on or cannot easily access on campus.
“William and Mary students are bad at putting down whatever they’re doing and just prioritizing enjoyment, so we try to bring it to them. You don’t have to go anywhere,” Calli said. “Plus, when people were at home, they could go to a pumpkin patch or go apple picking, which is not necessarily feasible at college. So we try to bring the things they miss from home to them.”
For student attendees, the appeal was as simple as free swag and fun that only required a casual, low commitment.
“William and Mary students, we love free shirts. We love food,” Merritt said. “I really like events like this where we can just pop in and pop out on our own accord, and there’s no insane attendance checking.”
Timing the event over Family Weekend was also a strategic choice. AMP tries to host an event during Family Weekend every year because it attracts large groups early in the fall semester.
“It’s also a really great way for people to learn what AMP is, especially if they’re freshmen,” Calli said.
While Fall Fest comes early in the academic year, the process behind planning each event starts long before the semester begins. For AMP, this often begins with deciding an event’s theming before booking vendors and deciding on attractions.
“We start with kind of a vibe, an aesthetic we want to achieve, but then also something to ground it,” Hughson said.
From there, the group turns to a list of pre-approved vendors. However, sticking with these reliable contacts doesn’t always go according to plan. For example, the Fall Fest was meant to feature a hayride, but its vendor canceled last minute. The petting zoo and kettle corn stand also arrived late.
“We definitely have to adjust a lot when it comes to events, and that’s pretty common,” Hughson said. “A lot of it is about flexibility and adaptability when it comes to these events, and I think events end up working well because we’re a good team to manage that.”
Despite these bumps in the road, Calli spoke to the payoff of all their hard work as she and the Special Events Committee watched students enjoy something the team built.
“You watch people have fun, and you know that all of the work you put into it pays off,” she said. “It’s really worth it.”
Abhaya Tyrka ’27 was one such student. Besides the attractions and vendors themselves, she enjoyed how Fall Fest brought in the broader Williamsburg community.
“It makes you feel more connected to Williamsburg,” she said.
AMP’s main measure of success is attendance weighed against what an event costs. Feedback matters too, and it doesn’t have to be formal. In fact, it can be as simple as finding an AMP member at an event to share one’s thoughts. This type of open dialogue helps the team better shape and plan events that appeal to the community.
“Tell us what you hated, tell us what you love, because we can use that in the future and we can justify maybe repeating an event or justify asking for more money,” Calli said.
Both Calli and Hughson emphasized theirs and the team’s eager anticipation of the year ahead with fun events on the horizon. This level of engagement and dedication from AMP’s members isn’t lost on students like Merritt, who are eager to come back to more events.
“This was so fun,” she said. “I hope they continue to do stuff like this in the future.”
