Merriment, delight, and happiness: The 2025 Winter Carnival

The Winter Carnival was a lovely and lighthearted 3-hour excursion that gathered students from all over campus to momentarily distract themselves from their semester workload and the fact that they go to RPI. The carnival lived up to the general anticipation, providing a good time for students in need of fun and relaxation.

Upon walking in, the Dance Dance Revolution booth immediately caught my attention. They had previously been located in the outside tent at first and were handing out tickets that people could earn by playing. However, they had to move inside due to condensation threatening the safety of their boards.

A little bit past the DDR booth was the raffle ticket stand. Tickets won from the carnival games located in an outdoor heated tent gave students a chance to enter in a raffle for three possible prizes: a Steam Deck, a Polaroid Camera, and a PS5 Pro for first place!

The ECAV gymnasium housed the main attractions. First, there was a huge inflatable bungee run course. You'd be tied to a bungee rope and would be tasked to fight against it in order to try and get a basketball into a hoop. Second, was a two-person inflatable obstacle course, and near the back wall was an axe-throwing setup. A Build-A-Bear-esque table was set up in the gymnasium’s corner, allowing students to make their own stuffed animal. The animal options incorporated the carnival’s Ice Age theme, including wolves, woolly mammoths, and beavers.

Perhaps the best part of the event was the free food. Attendees enjoyed mac n’ cheese, fried vegetable dumplings, pretzel chunks, churros, and hot cider.

There was also a large tent outside of the ECAV building, a small walk from all of the inflatable attractions. Inside the dimly lit tent were all of the carnival games, delightfully handcrafted, and a fantastic place to try and win some tickets. Clubs were hosting the booths and I had the opportunity to throw a rugby ball and hit a hockey puck. I was especially thankful that the tent was heated.

As visitors were exiting the event, they had a last opportunity to spend their tickets on merchandise from the event. Items including lunch boxes, stickers, t-shirts, and blankets available for anywhere from 2 to 30 tickets. It was a wonderful opportunity for visitors to collect a memento of their carnival experience.