Shortly after school starts, the weather gets cooler and the leaves change color, signaling the start of fall. At Hopkins, however, we have the weeklong tradition of Hoptoberfest to mark the beginning of the new season.
Hoptoberfest is a huge celebration of fall. During the week, there’s plenty of events to attend, so even the busiest students can get involved. There’s always a pumpkin patch, T-shirt giveaway, haunted house, and concert.
Every year is a little different. During my time here I’ve seen a petting zoo, food trucks, movie screenings, carnival games, bouncy castles, student performances, and so much more. Hoptoberfest is a perfect way to meet new people and hang out with friends free of charge. It’s also a great break from studying. Since it lasts an entire week, it’s fun to look forward to something new every day and plan my schedule around the events.
My favorite part of Hoptoberfest is trying to snag a free shirt. The lines are extremely long, but it’s always worth it. They tend to run out fast, so they’re hard to get. It’s even more challenging to get the right size. During my first year, I managed to get an oversized shirt, but I missed out this past year. Luckily, the Hop (a student organization on campus) has its own yearly Halloween celebration in Levering Hall. There, I got the correct size, tons of candy, stickers, and a free catered dinner.
Shirts are nice souvenirs, but the Hoptoberfest concert is easily the best event of the week. During my first year I saw Desiigner, and the year after that, I saw COIN and Rick Ross. Both times I met new people, and we were all in the front row. The concerts are always packed with students, so it’s necessary to get there early. The environment is fun and always loud. There’s lots of singing and jumping at the front that adds to the excitement of the night. One of the members of COIN tossed the set list into the crowd and my friend caught it. We were even in a Hopkins Instagram post of the concert!
During the fall season, I always pay close attention to another Hopkins tradition—Jay, the Blue Jay statue. All students are welcome to spray paint the statue and freely express themselves. Jay is always changing and has a mix of different kinds of messages. Some are funny, and some are serious. Some are simply club advertisements, and others spread awareness for different causes. For the past two years during Halloween, however, it’s been decorated to look like a pumpkin. I’m curious to see what the sign will look like this year and how it’ll compare to what I’ve seen so far. This is a fun reminder of the fun activities happening on campus and that Thanksgiving break is coming soon.
The start of fall is an exciting time at Hopkins, and I’m always looking forward to it when the school year starts. Hoptoberfest is one of my favorite campus-wide events because it feels like multiple traditions blend together. I can’t wait for this year’s schedule, and hopefully I’ll be able to snag another T-shirt!
