On the Wednesday before Thanksgiving Break, Bishop’s students gathered on the edge of the Rohr Terrace for the second annual celebration of all things autumn — where warm apple cider, colorful face paint, and spirited competition mixed into one energetic, fall-themed lunch period. 

Hosted by the Kindness Crew, the event aimed to give students a moment of relief in a week packed with tests. This year, the Kindness Crew is led by Eleanor Meyer (‘26), Chloe Cherque (‘26), and Paige Meyers (‘26). As the main coordinator for the event, Eleanor explained, “This week is very stressful for everyone… So it’s just a little break… a glimpse of Thanksgiving around the corner.” 

Another Kindness Crew member, Julia Pawl (‘27), added, “[Fall Fest] gives us a sense of community as we go into Thanksgiving break… We hope everyone feels thankful for what they have in the community here at Bishop’s.” 

Ivy Yang

On the side of the tent closest to the cafeteria, Kindness Crew members, like Christopher Kim (‘27) depicted here, greeted students with warm apple cider in cups, giving them a small taste of fall. For Kindness Crew member Emma Baluja (‘27), the event was meant to be a “last hurrah” before break and a way to make sure the student body was “having the fun and joy that a fall should embody.” Screenshot

Ivy Yang

Just a few steps away, students lined up for face-painting and temporary tattoos. Colorful pumpkins, palettes, and brushes were laid out on the table for students to add designs to their cheeks and hands. “Everyone has smiles on their faces,” Julia Pawl (‘27), a Kindness Crew member, said, happy to see the large crowd of students that gathered throughout lunch. “It feels so great… Everyone’s having fun, and it seems to be a hit.”

The donut-eating contest was a new addition to this year’s fall fest, thanks to Brad Ladrido (‘26), a member of the Kindness Crew. “On Instagram, I stumbled across Cathedral Catholic doing this activity, and I kind of snatched it from them,” he said. The donut-eating contest turned out to be a huge success, as many students gathered around the booth to watch the chaotic fight to see who would be crowned donut-eating champion. The inaugural contest was won by Marcos Montoya (‘27), who shared his thoughts after his win, “I was very happy that I won a full box of donuts and got to display my skills.” 

However, Imran Mahmud (‘26), another contestant in the first round, believed that his prize was stolen, expressing some regrets: “I was the first to grab the donut, but part of the donut fell on my knee, and when I looked around, someone else managed to beat me to the punch.” While Imran was sad he couldn’t win, he said that the fall fest was “the best peer support event.”

Julia said, “My favorite part was definitely the donut-eating. That was so fun!” 

Daniel Guo

Kindness Crew members, from left to right, Sadie Van Huizum (‘28), Grace Ebel (‘27), Aashi Lohchab (‘27), Brad Ladrido (‘26), and Julia Pawl (‘27) helped set up the donut-eating strings for contestants, Cutter Leach (‘27), Moana Peterson (‘26), Seamus Murphy (‘27), Marcos Montoya (‘27), Matthew LaBrucherie (‘27), and Imran Mahmud (‘26).

Daniel Guo

Students cheered on contestants who participated in the donut-eating contest. Without using their hands, each student competed to be the first to devour a glazed donut tied on a string. Imran Mahmud (‘26), pictured in the photo, struggled to finish the second half of his donut, which was slightly above reach.

Then there was the classic pie-eating contest, which has established itself as a Bishop’s Fall Fest tradition. 

Students from all grade levels swarmed the table as they watched, cheering their friends on and yelling with excitement, to see who would be crowned the pie-eating champion. This year’s tournament was no different, garnering a few returning competitors, like Giles Beamer (‘26) and Caden Yang (‘28), the defending champion, but also invited many new members who were all eager to compete for the title. 

Daniel Guo

Dig in! Wrapped in trash bags, the contestants were each given half of a pie to devour, and the winner would be crowned the winner, taking home a whole pie for themselves. Spectators cheered them on vigorously — as Naveen Hernandez (‘26) put it, “There’s a lot of eating, and I think that always makes for good sport and good spectacle.”

The results were particularly close, with a face-off between Race Paris (‘27), Caden, and Giles, practically finishing at the same time. Ultimately, the final vote put Caden up top, along with screams and light-hearted groans. This means that Caden has protected his title as the reigning champion of the pie-eating contest. 

“I’m very glad I got the opportunity to participate in this year’s pie-eating competition again,” Caden said. “I thought this year was a lot more competitive and… I ended up getting pie all over my face because of how rushed I was.” 

Daniel Guo

Caden Yang (‘28), the undefeated champion of the Fall Fest pie-eating contest, ultimately came out victorious again for his second title. Like last year, his prize was a whole pie!

There was also supposed to be a wheelbarrow contest on the quad, like last year, but it was cancelled because of the mud from several days of consecutive rain. 

Perhaps Brad summed up Fall Fest the best: food, according to Brad, has become a Bishop’s Fall Fest trademark — “ I think we need to really think about the fall… It’s really all about bringing family together, eating around… Fall Fest has developed [this] new defining theme, and that’s what makes it memorable.”