Holiday Events Showcase

The holiday season is fast approaching, which means it's time to offer college students something special. To help prevent holiday party fatigue, we asked several operators for their best photos from their department's special holiday events in the hope they can offer some celebration inspiration.

University of Massachusetts, Amherst

UMass hosts an All Tricks, No Treats Halloween party, which features a costume contest, magic shows, fortune telling, pumpkin painting and Halloween-themed treats like these classic caramel apples.University of Massachusetts, Amherst

The staff goes all out with the spooky decor in the dining hall.University of Massachusetts, Amherst

The menu last year featured Maine live lobsters, N.Y. strip steak, roast turkey, pumpkin bisque, baked macaroni and cheese and apple cider.

University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Maine live lobster.University of Massachusetts, Amherst

This pumpkin won first place in the pumpkin decorating contest.

University of Kentucky, Louisville

Harvest Fest is Kentucky's Thanksgiving event. To enhance the overall atmosphere of the event, seasonal decorations are displayed throughout the restaurant.

University of Kentucky, Louisville

The serving line gets the full fall treatment.The menu of the special event is specifically created to match the theme and each area is enhanced with decorations and descriptive signs of the menu items. For Harvest Fest, the menu items feature many traditional Thanksgiving favorites and other menu items associated with the harvest season.

Related:Hooked on Themes

University of Kentucky, Louisville

Harvest-themed salads tempt students.

University of Notre Dame, West Layfayette, Ind.

A Notre Dame holiday event, held at the campus Snite Museum, is an annual benefit dinner. Guests vote on art pieces to purchase. For this pictured event, many of the guest tables were the art pieces being voted on for purchase.

University of Notre Dame, West Layfayette, Ind.

The entrée for the evening was a combination plate of beef filet and lemon thyme-crusted fresh salmon served with riesling butter sauce and an Italian risotto vegetable bouquet with leek ribbon and zucchini purée.

University of Montana, Missoula

Last December, dining services held an end-of-year omelet bar, which was themed as Holiday in the Tropics, to combat both the monotony of finals as well as the gray weather.

University of Montana, Missoula

Every December, dining services  invites not only students, faculty and staff but also the local community to join it in baking Christmas cookies. Participants decorate and design their own cookies, which they can take home or donate to 18 local charitable organizations. Last year, 22 campus departments participated, and  more than 495 dozen cookies were donated.

University of Kentucky, Louisville

Winter Frost is Kentucky's December holiday event. To enhance the overall atmosphere of the event, seasonal decorations are displayed throughout the restaurant.

University of Kentucky, Louisville

University of Kentucky, Louisville

For Winter Frost, the menu items feature many traditional and international winter holiday favorites and other menu items associated with the holiday season.

University of Kentucky, Louisville

Special menu items are added for the events to introduce guests to new tastes.

University of Kentucky, Louisville

A chef gets to work on one of the traditional holiday dishes.University of Massachusetts, Amherst

The UMass Be Mine Romantic Dinner goes all out with decorations for Valentine's Day.University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Tuxedo-clad servers pass around crostini with tapenade to students.University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Dipping strawberries in the chocolate fountain is always a student favorite.University of Massachusetts, Amherst

Classic heart-shaped cookies and milk added a sweet touch to the event.

University of Massachusetts, Amherst

The menu featured this Pacific-wild salmon with lemon-shallots relish and crispy prosciutto, along with pan-seared pork medallions with Riesling and apples, Valentine chicken breast with mustard, rosemary and capers, and an oven-baked penne with forest mushrooms and fontina.