Hosted by the App State Gardening Club and senior sustainable development major Parker Williamson, the second annual Jack O’ Lantern Jam took place Friday from 4-7 p.m. at Roots Garden. Williamson centered her senior capstone around how music can foster meaningful conversations about sustainability, organizing the event in tandem with her capstone.

This year’s free jam features student-led initiatives, including a donation booth organized by the gardening club and its president, senior sustainable development major Ava Thompson. The booth offered handmade pins, food and drinks stationed alongside other vendors. 

“I want to create a space for people to have fun and listen to music while being sustainable and learning more about what they can do,” Williamson said.

In addition to the festival, there were live musical performances from Peach Candy Nut Boys and Midnight Streetfight.

“It seems that when people think about sustainability, they think that it means taking away from their current lifestyle choices, when really, it can add to it, just like what we have done here with a sustainable concert,” Williamson said.

Since sustainability was a central theme of the Jack O’ Lantern Jam, the festival was powered entirely by solar energy. As part of creating the festival, the organizers worked with the Office of Sustainability’s data and assessment director Jim Dees to set up the solar system.

“This event sets itself apart from other fall festivals because it is simultaneously student-led as well as solar powered,” Williamson said.

Williamson hoped the event would motivate those not yet involved in sustainability to take action beyond the Jack O’ Lantern Jam.

“We hope this event will spread the word about the gardening club and our campus gardens and promote the importance of renewable energy and sustainability to the local and campus community,” Thompson said.