Washington State University’s 39th annual All Campus Picnic will occur 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday in the Compton Union Building (CUB) and on Glenn Terrell Mall.
The All Campus Picnic consists of two elements: a picnic and a resource fair. From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., the BBQ-style picnic will occur alongside the enormous resource fair. The resource fair, however, will end later than the picnic. It begins at 11 a.m. and concludes at 2 p.m.
Sarah Mahaffy, Director of Events for the Pullman campus who works in the Office of the Chancellor, said the resource fair includes over 165 vendors.
She said the fair will host a DJ and lots of excitement.
“It’s so fun to see the excitement and students coming back,” Mahaffy said. “It’s a busy event.”
She said vendors will be along the whole main mall, which is from the top of the CUB and all of Terrell Mall down to the library mall by Chinook Student Center. Vendors are community and on-campus members so students can see what is available to them.
She also said lots of club vendors will be present because WSU wants students to get involved.
According to Mahaffy, all volunteer slots are full, but there is plenty of space for other vendors.
She said registration is preferred, but vendors who show up the day of the fair will not be turned down.
The All Campus Picnic is free lunch for faculty, staff and students and is a way to celebrate the beginning of the new school year.
Sarah Larson, Director of Dining Services, said there will be several buffet lines for the picnic portion of the All Campus Picnic.
She said the buffet service, which occurs in the CUB Senior Ballroom, should go quickly.
Mahaffy said people will find tents, tables and chairs on top of the library after they receive their meals from the ballroom. Attendees will walk through the ballroom and tell servers how much and what they would like to eat.
According to Mahaffy, people are then shuffled through the CUB back outside where they can feast and enjoy the beautiful scenery.
The main food items are beef brisket, pulled BBQ chicken and vegan beyond bratwurst, and there will be many available sides.
Martha Flores, Dietician and Health and Wellness Coordinator for Dining Services, said Dining Services tries to make the menu inclusive.
Flores said one of her roles when assisting events which feed lots of students is to access those with allergies, religious accommodations and other specific needs. Most menu items are gluten free and everything is vegan besides the two meat items.
The top nine food allergies are considered when preparing the menu. If someone has an allergy not covered by the top nine, Flores said she will be at a station suitable for cross contamination concerns and addressing specific needs.
According to Flores, a celiac menu will also be present.
“Inclusivity is my biggest thing. Food is what really brings people together,” she said. “Being able to bring everyone to the table, allergies included and thinking about all those things, I’m always thinking about the other person, so making a good inclusive menu is really important for me.”
Larson said there are several commercial kitchens throughout campus, and for such a massive event, all those facilities must be utilized. The three dining centers and a central production kitchen do the bulk of the work.
According to Larson, this year’s menu has been popular and run for several years and people look forward to it.
Larson also said between four and five thousand pounds of food will be made and served.
She said the menu will be posted in many places and has a QR code so people can see the actual ingredients in each food item.
Larson said Dining Services does their best to meet every person’s needs, but it is impossible to predict each allergen. She guarantees the top nine are avoided or labeled.
She said the menu has worked well over the years in terms of meeting attendees’ needs.
Larson said thinks last year’s most popular food item was the brisket.
“I’ve made a career in food service and hospitality. It’s meaningful to me for people to enjoy good food and good company,” she said. “I believe very heavily in the fact that the food we serve tries to bring people together to create community, and community is really important here at WSU and the WSU experience.”
WSU’s University Convocation occurs before the All Campus Picnic. Butch and the band will lead the whole convocation audience, which consists of 4200 students, to the All Campus Picnic.
Mahaffy said pep band members will perform in front of the main CUB entrance and Butch will be on his ATV.
She said she the All Campus Picnic will see approximately 5000 participants, and with all faculty, staff and students invited, the goal is 5500 people.
Mahaffy said it’s great to see more people participating.
“I think students, whether they’re returning students or new ones, it’s just important for them to know what resources are there and ways they can get involved. It makes an impact on their college experience, knowing what’s available and new opportunities to meet new friends and the faculty and staff that are going to be supporting them throughout their academic career,” she said.
WSU’s All Campus Picnic is sponsored by BECU, Coca-Cola, New Student Programs and the Office of the Chancellor.
Those interested in vending at the resource fair can contact [email protected] for more information.
