The Winter Wonderland has been a recurring event at Stevens for over a decade, with this year’s being its 11th anniversary, whose exciting events took place on December 3 on Walker Lawn and directly outside of Babbio. It went from 4 to 7 p.m. and featured a multitude of fun and jubilant events for students to watch and partake in.
This year’s events included giveaways like decorated ducks, shirts, and mugs, as well as a raffle with different prizes. There were more events like ice skating in front of Babbio, as well as a Santa competition that multiple frats and clubs took part in. Some of the prizes in the raffle included items such as an ice cream machine and a hot chocolate kit, amongst many other things. The foods offered were different varieties of festive desserts and warm drinks, from sprinkled sugar cookies and gingerbread men to hot apple cider and hot chocolate. Next to the food were multiple vendors selling custom items, including press-on nails and special hand-crafted creations. There was also a photo booth in Babbio with fun props and signs to take pictures with.
The evening culminated with the final event — the lighting of the Christmas tree in front of Walker Gym at 7 p.m. There were performances in that spot from the President’s Ensemble, Stevens A Cappella, and other singers and bands before the lighting of the tree and raffle. The President’s Ensemble sang “Carol of the Bells,” a medley of “Deck the Halls,” “Here We Come A-wassailing,” and “Jingle Bells,” and Stevens A Capella sang “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch,” “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer,” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” There were four other bands and singers that sang previously, before the President’s Ensemble and Stevens Acapella: Ticklemonsters, Abby Grace, Technique, and Amberjack. When the tree was lit, all the lights hung on the small walls by the stairs were also lit up, creating a bright, vibrant scene in front of Walker Gymnasium.
Even in the cold weather, this year’s Winter Wonderland welcomed many students, undergraduate and graduate, to enjoy a multitude of fun events before finals and to usher in the Christmas season.
