By: Maria Viola
The second annual Harvest Festival at Delaware Valley University was a hit.
Enthusiasm for the day was fueled by the inaugural celebration of Dr. Ben Rusiloski, who shared his optimism and visual for the future of Delaware Valley University.
“Our commitment to experience and learning has never been more important that it is today. We will work together to secure the resources needed to ensure the success of this institution for the next 125 years.”
Dr. Ben Rusiloski, in his inaugural speech
Following the ceremony, a festival featuring fall food and drinks, apple and pumpkin picking and live music drew crowds of students and community leaders.
The Harvest Festival is run by members of Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences (MANRRS). The members clearly put a lot of time and effort into the event. MANRRS goal is to encourage and help minorities (and allies) pursue their dreams and career goals, working to diversify the agriculture world on step at a time.
Many students, faculty, and community members showed up on the crisp, fall evening of Friday, October 21. Nearly every seat was taken under the massive tent where people enjoyed barbecue and different fruits and vegetable offerings, grown and harvested by the students of DelVal. In addition to that, there was a donut bar, mini apple pies, almond hemp cake, and many more tasty treats.
When asked about the Harvest Festival, one student stated, “The event was really fun. I enjoyed playing corn hole with my friends and getting to enjoy the food.”
In addition to the dinner and dessert portion of the event, many DelVal clubs had tables set up along the greens. Beyond that, people could take a short tractor ride down to go pumpkin and apple picking, as well as take a walk (or get lost) in the hemp maze. There were pumpkins as far as the eye could see, and of course, many apple trees.
People could take home a bag of apples as well as a pumpkin for free.
Whether it be enjoying some fall themed food, picking your own apples right off the tree, or exploring the Hemp maze, DelVal’s 2022 Harvest Festival offered something special for everyone.
