NMT Students Plan Harvest Festival

Students at New Mexico Tech are preparing to launch a free Harvest Festival, scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 20, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on the grassy field by Driscoll Hall.

The festival is being organized primarily by KTEK, NMT’s student media group, in collaboration with several student clubs and local organizations. KTEK member David Koshkin said the event is designed to bridge the gap between the campus community and the greater Socorro community.

“People will have more things to do, and things will be more fun if the community is together, rather than two separate worlds. We want to promote and support local businesses and make the community a better place,” Koshkin said.

The festival promises to be a lively, family-friendly evening filled with activities, live entertainment, and local flavor. Attendees can expect live music, a talent show with prizes, face painting, and cornhole games. RJ’s Chicken will serve as a food vendor, and organizers hope to include an art market featuring student-made artwork from the Fine Arts Department.

Adding to the fun will be local animal celebrity Mugshot the mini donkey, as well as appearances from local police and fire departments, giving children the opportunity to explore fire trucks and meet first responders.

Koshkin said the event atmosphere will showcase the campus’s autumnal leaves with string lights illuminating the area, heating lamps and fire pits to create a cozy atmosphere.

“There’ll be fairy lights between the trees, maybe hay bales and s’mores,” he said. “It’s going to be beautiful.”

Erika Eaton, president of the Pre-Med/Pre-Health Club, said her group will participate by hosting a table with health information and activities. The club is also working to bring in community partners such as Presbyterian Hospital, the Socorro County Prevention Coalition, and SCOPE Health Council to share resources.

Eaton emphasized that the event is about more than just fun — it’s about connection.

“It’s really important that the townies and the techies interact and get along,” she said. “In the past, there’s been some distance between the college students and people in town. COVID didn’t help with that either. But this is a way to bring everyone together again.”

Organizers are spreading the word throughout Socorro, including distributing flyers through local schools to encourage families to attend. The event is free and open to the public, with opportunities for residents and students alike to sign up for the talent show.

Koshkin hopes the festival will become an annual tradition that continues to grow.

“Socorro can feel pretty quiet sometimes,” he said. “We just want to bring a little more life, fun, and connection to our town.”