Editor’s Note 10/3/24: The fall festival will no longer take place on Saturday, October 5. The festival has been postponed to next semester. The Performing Arts Department is currently discussing when the new date will be.
Los Altos High School performing arts’ annual Fall Festival will return to campus Saturday, October 5th. From 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., the festival will showcase performances from drama, choir, band, and orchestra, and include fun activities for the community to enjoy. The festival is organized by the performing arts teachers and Performing Arts Boosters.
“It’s an accessible first performance of the year for us,” Choir teacher Lauren Diez said. “The fall festival is a low-stakes, fun way to start the year and invite a lot of families on campus to get involved. We’re including our community to make it more of a celebration than a formal concert.”
On Saturday, volunteers from Acting One will have a chance to improv on stage with the school’s improv club. The school’s theater group, Broken Box, will also preview the first scene and a half of their upcoming production “Pride and Prejudice.” With its simplicity in context and famous opening line, Battle hopes it will publicize its show.
Choir, which made its debut at last year’s festival, will also bring a diverse array of shows from its ensembles. They plan to feature pieces ranging from folk, gospel, to Arabic. Audiences will also watch combined performances between the ensembles and guest instrumentals performing alongside vocal music.
All instrumental groups — wind ensemble, symphonic band, chamber orchestra, and marching band — are set to perform at the festival. For the instrumental groups, the Fall Festival will be the second performance of the year, following their first performance on Tuesday.
There’ll be activities for families and friends — from snacks from the bake sale, to carnival games, to face painting. The festival’s outdoor setting encourages community members to see firsthand what LAHS performing arts students have to offer. The setting is much more informal than a traditional performance, and the open format makes it easier for people to visit.
“The arts are important,” Instrumental Music Director Ted Ferrucci said. “Us teachers are all proud of what’s going on in our individual disciplines and it’s great to have these kids come together and support each other to build a community around it.”
The Fall Festival has a long history at LAHS. Originally dubbed the Fall Finale, the event was only meant for marching band, and marked the end of its season.
The festival first expanded to include instrumental music classes, moved to vocal music last year, and now includes drama, capturing the entire performing arts department except dance. Through this collaboration between the arts, the Fall Festival is an inclusive and casual event for all to enjoy.
“We want to open up performing arts at this school to people at large,” Instrumental Music teacher Johanna Nilsson said. “We think of this as a community outreach event. This is meant to be a family-friendly event with people dropping in and out throughout the afternoon, and bringing their friends and neighbors.”
The festival also serves as an introduction to LAHS’s performing arts program for middle school students. There will be a table with an email list and other resources, so interested students can get more details.
“I’ve known some people who joined marching band after seeing the Fall Festival,” marching band member senior Will Waters-Wardlaw said. “Events like this not only show how vast our arts program is, but also shows people that they are open to join.”
The Fall Festival’s main goal is to encourage the community to engage in the arts and display what LAHS programs have to offer. Admission to the event is free, but people are encouraged to bring money to buy treats and participate in the games.
