Hebe Yiu
November 20th, 2021
The Irish brought the Halloween tradition of pumpkin carving to the USA, just as this HKIS Pumpkin Festival brought waves of people to its festivities and games. To celebrate the long-lasting holiday of Halloween, HKIS has hosted the Pumpkin Festival so that everyone can get a taste of this spice-filled celebration!
There were entertaining games set up by volunteers in the gym; delicious food in the cafeteria, including Pizza Express; and there were so many things to buy in the BBT, such as intricate handbags and accessories! Many clubs were also present, such as Middle School’s Green Dragons and High School’s Green Initiative. The Green Dragons were selling homemade mint tea whereas the Green Initiative was selling seedlings so that people could take care of their own plants! Mr.Leung, one of the HKIS parents comments: “The Pumpkin Fest is an excellent idea! The participation level is always very high, and we even invited our coworkers from work to join.”
The games in the Middle School gym were especially popular - kids accompanied by their parents flocked to the different booths to win candy. There were face painting and hair-dying stations, bouncy castles and a huge slide, and activities and games like the Halloween Shootout and the Zombie Hunt. Freshman student Whitney Gourgel in charge of the Halloween Shootout booth commented: “I think the Pumpkin Fest is great because it’s an opportunity for kids to have more fun in school.” Even students from other schools joined in the fun!
This festival was also a huge source of income for the school - many parents came especially to support the school and help it raise the funds it needs. Through selling many things such as toys and handbags in the BBT to baked goods in the cafeteria, the PFO earnt a lot of money. Mrs.Puddefoot, one of the parents in charge of the boutique section in the BBT stated: “We sold many things and it’s been a very successful day - there’s something for everyone here!”
The Pumpkin Festival was a wonderful success - with everyone participating, it turned out to be a great enjoyment for everyone who came - what a sweet surprise!