Harvest Fest: Celebrating the Season in Harmony
The Forge Garden buzzed with energy as over 180 students gathered for Harvest Fest, our annual fall celebration that combined seasonal crafts and animal encounters with live music and sweet treats. This year, the Forge partnered with KSCU to feature three student bands to serenade the evening’s festivities. Tables burst with pumpkins ready for carving, apples waiting to be pressed, and costumes on display from Bucky’s Closet. More than just an evening of fun, the event highlighted the Center for Sustainability's efforts to reduce food waste and promote mindful consumption, putting SCU’s “Leading Through Laudato Si’” goals into action.
🍎 Fun Meets Food Recovery 🍏
New this year, students pressed fresh apple cider using fruit collected from local backyards and campus trees by the Glean Team. As students chopped, mashed, and pressed the apples, they got a hands-on lesson in responsible consumption. Each apple represented food recovery in action, saving what might otherwise have gone to rot. Bruised or spotted apples were carefully sliced, with good parts turned to juice and the scraps saved for compost. As they tasted the sweet reward of their work, many students commented on the vibrant difference between the fresh-pressed cider and what they get in stores.
🎃 A Circular Celebration 🍪
Nearby, the “Carving Out Your Quarter” pumpkin carving hosted by Cyphi modeled a zero-waste approach to fall fun. Tables were crowded with students designing quirky and creative jack-o-lanterns, with every part of the harvest used. The seeds were roasted for snacking and the guts were composted, ensuring that no part of the pumpkin was wasted. These small actions demonstrated how sustainability is built on everyday habits that respect mindful consumption and reduce waste. And of course the fresh-baked pumpkin cookies brought smiles all around!
🐓 Feeding Our Hungry Critters 🪱
At Chick or Treat, saved pumpkin and apple scraps were hand-fed to the Forge Garden's resident chickens for an up-close encounter. And the Worm Composting station highlighted the next step in the food cycle, demonstrating how composting regenerates the garden and enriches our food by turning non-edible scraps back into rich soil. Students even had the chance to take a selfie with our hard-working worms!
👻 Sustainable Halloween Spirit 🧙
Around the Native Plant Garden, Bucky’s Closet hosted a Halloween costume pop-up, allowing students to be part of a circular economy and combat throwaway culture. Instead of buying a new, overpriced costume to wear for a single night, students browsed racks packed with gently-used outfits to create a unique look for free. As always, Bucky’s Closet showed how repurposing clothing fosters mindful consumption and a sustainable campus culture. Huge thanks to the SCU Department of Theatre and Dance Costume Shop for donating their surplus costumes!
🎶 Soundtrack of the Season 🍁
What’s a party without music? All evening long, local artists Solace, Christmas Tree, and Skill Issue filled the garden with live music and positive energy, thanks to event partner KSCU. Shout out to the Forge’s very own garden apprentice Fran Pezza who surprised us by rocking the mic on a few numbers!
Weaving together art, food, sustainability, and connection in one beautiful shared space, Harvest Fest was a true celebration of SCU at its best. Broncos got a taste of how food recovery, composting, and creative reuse can be a part of everyday campus life. With music, laughter and simple acts of community, the Forge Garden’s Harvest Fest showcased our culture of just sustainability with the perfect #autumnvibes🍁