All Aboard The Whittfest Express!
Jamie Calderon | STAFF WRITER
April 23, 2026
This year on April 10, Whittier College’s Program Board asked Poets to saddle up and mosey on down to The Wild Whittfest.
The celebration was brought to life with a metaphorical horse and lasso. The College’s Upper Quad was transformed into a western festival for the night, complete with hay bales, hotdogs, goats and games.
Poets were brought into a rootin’ tootin’ festival of fun.
The event kicked off with a performance from the cheer team to get everyone into the hoedown spirit.
They were followed by a pie-eating competition, where fourth-year Johnny Serbin took home the prize. Afterward, a hotdog-eating competition ended in an all-around draw.
All of the night’s winners got to take home a pie and a shirt to commemorate the night.
In between the competitions, Poets could take a stroll down to the petting zoo and meet some furry friends. From alpacas to goats, calves to ponies, bunnies and even a turkey, there was no shortage of animals for attendees to meet.
Vendors also came and offered free food to Poets who checked in at the Program Board table.
Attendees were able to choose between burgers, hotdogs, cotton candy, popcorn and freshly made smoothies.
Aside from the competitions and the companions, Wild Whittfest had plenty of games, such as ring toss and tic-tac-toe. Everything was free to play, with prizes available to win.
But if those games weren’t quite your speed, Whittier’s various clubs and organizations sat in the middle of it all with tons of fun activities and free goodies.
The Arthurian Order of the Knights of Pendragon (AOKP) was tabling to recruit new travelers for their campaign.
The Transgender, Other Identified, Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian and Allies for Diversity (TOBGLAD) members were giving out drawings of Poets as werewolves and telling fortunes.
The Penns offered free face painting. The Metaphonian Society had a watering hole to cool down. The Art Club handed out free zines, and the Quaker Campus had an archery practice table.
As the sun went down, the Program Board began a karaoke showdown to be remembered.
Various student organizations and Poets took to the stage for the chance to win the night’s big prize.
With last year’s karaoke champions, The Penns, serving as the judges and hay bales rolled out for the crowd, the singers put their all into the music.
With 10 performances in total, it was definitely not an easy call.
From high-energy party songs to powerful ballads, the competing Poets gave it their all for the top spot.
After much deliberation, The Penns declared the choir team as the winners. Their performance of “Black Sheep” sealed the deal and rounded out a night of fun.
Program Board worked hard over two semesters to bring the western spirit to life on the College’s campus for the annual Whittfest celebration.
Their efforts were obvious in the atmosphere they built and the fun Poets had.
There’s no better way to end the spring semester than with free food, fun games, prizes and exciting competitions.