After a long time spent in books, frantically studying for midterms or trying to get last minute assignments in, a break is exactly what any college student needs. However, it can be hard to find activities and ways to have fun over the break, especially for those not from the area.
St. George has several events and activities held during fall break, Oct. 18-21, available to the community.
Here are some ideas on what to do during fall break this year.
HorrorFest
Horror movies are a large part of October and Halloween tradition. Once a year, St. George holds a HorrorFest International Film Festival to celebrate the Halloween season. The event this year takes place Oct. 16-19. It is a competition where people from all around the world submit their films. A full list of films being screened can be found on the website.
Tickets for all four days are $75 per person. There are also day passes for $30 and smaller segment passes for $10.
This activity is more expensive, but it is a way to watch horror movies that one wouldn’t see unless they attended the event and support the filmmakers’ creativity in making their own films.
Hiking and rock climbing
There are several places to go rock climbing, varying in difficulty and accessibility. Some places include Chuckwalla Wall, Turtle Wall and Lamb’s Wall. This is a relatively inexpensive option for fall break. If you do not own equipment, students can rent climbing equipment on the campus website under campus recreation, then outdoor activities.
Michael Warner, a sophomore computer science major from American Fork, said he loves to go rock climbing over fall break.
There are also several hikes in St. George for people who don’t want to climb. There are free hikes, such as the Babylon Arch Trail and Yant Flat Cliffs. There are also several hikes within Snow Canyon, but to hike in Snow Canyon costs $10 per vehicle.
There are also scenic fall hikes outside of St. George. If you want to drive 45 minutes, Pine Valley has plenty of scenic hiking areas that showcase the changing leaves.
“I love to look at the leaves changing,” Bria Snyder, a freshman general studies major from Springville, said.
Fisher Family and Staheli Family Farms
The Fisher Family Farm has a Fall Festival from Sept. 21 to Oct. 30. Activities involved in this include horse riding, launching pumpkins and feeding animals. Tickets to each event can be purchased online.
They also have a haunted house that runs from Sept. 21 to Oct 26. Tickets for this activity cost $10.
The Staheli Family Farm also has fall activities happening during fall break. They have a corn maze each night from 5-10 p.m. that costs $15 most nights and $10 on Mondays. Besides the regular corn maze, there is a Field of Screams, which is a haunted corn maze. This event goes 7:30-10 p.m. for $25 on Thursdays and $30 on Fridays and Saturdays.
Staheli Farm also has a Zombie Rampage event. This event involves piling into a bus and shooting paintballs at the zombies attacking from outside. The cost for the Zombie Slayer pass, 100 rounds of ammo and the paintball gun, is $25. There is a more expensive pass for 300 rounds of ammo that costs $40.
All tickets for their events can be found on the website.
Both events are run by local families that are prominent in the St. George community. Attending these activities is a way to get to know people local to the area and support the community.
Staying home
For those not wanting to go out, several fall traditions can be done without leaving your home.
“One fall tradition I have is painting or carving pumpkins,” Abby Starbuck, a freshman general studies major from Provo, said.
Carving pumpkins is a popular activity during the fall, and there are a variety of ways to do it. It doesn’t require many materials besides a pumpkin and a knife. Some people also like to paint pumpkins. This costs more unless you already have paint at home.
Another idea to enjoy fall break at home is baking fall desserts. When school is in session, it’s hard to find time to bake between classes, work and extracurricular activities. Fall break allows students a chance to make their favorite fall desserts.
One can also have a movie night where they curl up under a blanket and watch something to get in the Halloween spirit. Halloween movies include “Beetlejuice,” “Hocus Pocus” and “The Nightmare Before Christmas.”
Fall break allows students a chance to focus on things beyond school. There are several events in the community that students can participate in or things to do at home to celebrate the season.
