Perfect weather highlights fun time at Mastodon Family Picnic

Not counting the amazing fall weather, it’s hard to pick the next best part of Sunday’s Mastodon Family Picnic. 

The event at the amphitheatre and green space between Rhinehart Music Center and the Visual Arts Building – probably the largest gathering of its kind at Purdue Fort Wayne in several years – served as thanks from the PFW leadership team to faculty, staff, and their family members for what they all do to serve the university and its students.

While the food, music, bounce house, and bonfire were the main attractions, there was also Jenga, ladderball, and cornhole to keep the younger family members occupied so everyone else could rekindle friendships or create new ones.

“This is great, fantastic,” Chancellor Ron Elsenbaumer said. “There was something for everybody here today. The great thing was to show appreciation for what everybody is doing here on campus.”

But what was the best part? 

• The musical performance by Whoa, Man! kept everyone tapping their feet and sometimes singing along to their medley of 1980s classic hits. Led by four female vocalists who are well-known throughout the area entertainment community for playing with other bands, they came together 2½ years ago to create magic. And whoa, man, were they great on Sunday!
• The bounce house was continually busy with kids burning off steam, usually with only a handful of adults sitting around fighting off afternoon naps. Everyone inside had a great time with tons of laughter and bright smiles. Few wanted to leave when it was time to eat or go.
• There may have been semi-serious competition going at one of the two cornhole sites thanks to precocious 8-year-olds who conned an unsuspecting bystander into playing. The trash-talking was relentless, finally chasing their embarrassed rube away from their taunting giggles to look for some dignity. 
• The food was a textbook autumn menu filled with soups, appetizers, and treats. Most consumers raved about the potato soup or the cinnamon apples, but the biggest hit was probably the softball-sized cupcakes. They probably packed enough sugar to recharge the batteries of kids of all ages and send them back for another round inside the bounce house or a roll down the hill.

The picnic was an enjoyable family event as the adults could sit and talk and enjoy the food and fantastic music, while the younger folks could run and create more fun. And as the next season seems to be announcing its extended stay with a cold preview this week, many who took part in this weekend’s festivities seemed to appreciate what may be one of their last opportunities this year to spend some time in the great outdoors without the need for those extra layers still be buried in that box that’s not been seen since March.