A sea of red and navy covered the UA Mall on Saturday afternoon as families dressed in Wildcat apparel came out to experience the Wildcat World Fair and Wildcat Carnival.
The two events stretched from Old Main to the end of the Student Union Memorial Center with inflatable attractions and booths supporting various campus clubs.
Many booths at the World Fair were supporting cultural clubs on campus, such as the Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Club booth.
Others were fundraising booths for groups on campus, from sophomore honorary clubs to UA Quidditch.
“Each stand is for a different club, and each club is giving away different food you can buy, so it’s good fundraising,” said Zachary Prunty, a freshman studying neuroscience, cognitive science and psychology.
Prunty was also one of many members of Freshman Class Council who volunteered at the Wildcat Carnival, working the rides and attractions.
Dominique Linton, a pre-veterinary science senior and member of the UA Quidditch team, said the club came out to the World Fair to advertise and raise funds for the club.
“We want to let everyone know there’s a quidditch team,” Linton said.
Overall, Linton said she thought the event was a success for the team, and for the other clubs represented.
The carnival featured plenty of entertainers, from the campus magic club doing card tricks for passersby to live music. There was also a lasso demonstration, where cowboys and cowgirls roped a bull made of plastic piping on wheels.
Lily Middleton, an undeclared freshman and volunteer with FCC, said the event was a very positive one that really focused on families.
While the booths were more oriented towards students and parents, there were also some activities for younger siblings.
Middleton supervised an inflatable bouncy castle for kids, and said the crowd favorite was probably the petting zoo.
Families signed release waivers to participate in activities like the bouncy castle and the petting zoo, and the classic campus ride the mechanical bull, which has made an appearance at multiple events already this semester.
“People want to take their parents out to show their school to their family,” Middleton said. “I think that’s super cool.”
