The last weekend in October will be a busy one on campus at Lexington’s Transylvania University as the school hosts Family Weekend, the Alumni Fall Festival and kicks off PumpkinMania.
Family members of current students are invited to campus for Family Weekend Oct. 24-27. The university is hosting a wide range of activities, including classroom visits, a concert and sporting events, such as soccer and field hockey matches.
This year, Family Weekend coincides with the university’s Alumni Fall Festival on Sunday, Oct. 27, from noon to 4 p.m. The festival will include games, food and drinks, kids activities and a DJ and is open to the public.
Also on Sunday, Transylvania kicks off its ninth annual PumpkinMania celebration with a community carving event from noon to 4 p.m. Carve a pumpkin on campus or drop off your own pumpkin to be included in the PumpkinMania display on the steps of Old Morrison. Co-hosted by the Transylvania Young Alumni Council and Staff Engagement Team, Sunday’s events will be on the lawns of Old Morrison and Hazelrigg Hall.
Weekend parking will be available in the Mitchell Fine Arts Center lot off Fourth Street.
On Tuesday, Oct. 29, the pumpkins take the spotlight as thousands of visitors come to campus for what has become an annual Lexington Halloween tradition. The public is invited to join the campus community when more than 500 jack-o’-lanterns light the steps of the school’s historic Old Morrison administration building. Visit local food vendors starting at 5 p.m., including Bella’s Mini Donuts, Bluegrass Kettle Masters, Doodles, Jasmine Rice, Mr. Gyros, Munchie’s Fully Loaded, Nathan’s Taqueria, The Rooster’s Whistle coffee company, Suga Mommas and West Sixth Brewing. Then, go trick-or-treating from 6-7:30 p.m. along Old Morrison Circle. The highlight of the evening is the 7:30 p.m. pumpkin lighting.
PumpkinMania lighting will happen rain or shine — but trick-or-treating will move indoors if the weather’s bad. PumpkinMania is made possible in part through the generous support of Tetra Tech. The jack-o’-lanterns will be lit each night through Halloween. Parking is available on campus as well as in nearby downtown Lexington.