On April 27, Senior Institute hosted their third annual Arts Festival, and despite the troubles the weather presented, they persisted and thrived. 

Senior Institute is a group that is made up of only seniors who focus on Art and English in their studies, with teachers Mrs. Jessica Lloyd (English) and Mrs. Heather McClure (art) as their advisors. Seniors Cameron Hane, Julia Huntsinger, Claire Jansoscrat, Emma Liadis, Alex Mansfield, Katelyn Packer, Zoey Steiner, and Ava Topper planned the festival for Jonathan “Peppy” Herriman, who suffers from an aggressive form of leukemia. 

Peppy was a custodian for the Bellefonte District but unfortunately had to take time off to receive treatment for his condition. They raised $2,485 for him and the expenses that happen with driving long distances and taking off work for his treatments.

The festival had 25 art vendors and 6 food vendors as well as a “kid zone” with events for children such as face painting, chalk drawing, rock painting, and other activities. There were also raffle baskets so that people who attended the festival could try their luck. 

“My favorite part was getting to talk to Peppy and his wife and hearing them describe how blessed they were for our festival and fundraising,” Ava Topper said.

Katelyn Packer worked the face paint section for the majority of the festival. 

“My favorite part was seeing everyone’s faces as they walked into the school and seeing all the things we had. I also enjoyed the energy that all of the vendors had with them,” Katelyn said.

Because of the rain that occurred during the hours of the festival (from 11am to 3pm) it was moved inside to protect visitors and the vendors from the rain. 

Peppy even attended the festival and reportedly enjoyed it. 

“Seeing Peppy walk into the festival with his family was a special part of the day. He was so grateful and kind when he talked to us,” Mrs. Lloyd said. 

Overall the experience was a wonderful one that Mrs. Lloyd was proud of. 

“The students pulled together and held a sweet event for the day,” she said.

The event was a happy celebration for everyone who attended, and the vendors had beautiful artwork to sell. Hopefully, next year seniors will have better weather for their festival.