Fall Carnival and Trick or Treat with the Greeks is an annual event where students
help local children celebrate Halloween. 
The Lion’s Roar / Heather Jewell

On Halloween night, children in Hammond are invited to an evening of spooky fun at Southeastern’s annual Fall Carnival and Trick or Treat with the Greeks. The annual campus functions are a major joint effort, and a host of student organizations and university offices will participate. 

Fall Carnival will be hosted by the Office of Multicultural and International Student Affairs, the Black Student Union and Recreational Sports and Wellness, while the Office of Student Engagement will host Trick or Treat with the Greeks. Rather than the typical setting of North Oak Park, this year’s All Hallow’s Eve celebrations will take place at the Pennington Student Activity Center, located at 1350 North Pershing Street, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m., as well as inside the building.  

Aside from the new location, Fall Carnival and Trick or Treat with the Greeks are hardly new to Southeastern. According to Southeastern’s home page, this Halloween will mark the 11th year of the festivities. For 11 years now, Southeastern students have given children a safe and fun environment to celebrate Halloween. Despite the long run of the celebrations, attendees are in for the occasional surprise.  

“The main thing different about this year is the location. The event used to be in North Oak Park, weather permitting,” said Coordinator of the Office of International and Multicultural Student Affairs Brendan Daigle. “This year, it will be held on the lawn of the Pennington Center. There’s also going to be a haunted house inside [the Pennington Center]. Otherwise, Fall Carnival will be the same.”

Daigle also explained the activities at Fall Carnival aimed towards children who attend. 

“There will be all sorts of activities,” said Daigle. “We’re going to have face painting, balloon artists, bounce houses and carnival-style games. There’s also going to be a haunted house in rooms 107 and 108 [of the Pennington Center].”

Fall Carnival will tie in to the event Trick or Treat with the Greeks, which will also take place outside the Pennington Center. The function aims to provide local children with a safer Halloween activity than door-to-door trick-or-treating at houses of strangers. Rather than visiting strange homes in the boroughs of Hammond, children at Trick or Treat with the Greeks will be given candy by familiar local students and trade dangerous neighborhood streets for the university’s pedestrian friendly lanes and sidewalks. According to the university’s home page, despite the openness of the event, it is primarily aimed at young children.  

Once again, both events are scheduled for Saturday, October 31. Fall Carnival and Trick or Treat with the Greeks are free and open to the general public, and offer attendees a scary good time. 

Visit southeastern.edu for more information about the Halloween celebrations, as well as other upcoming campus events.