Bygone Traditions of Spring Carnival

The Spring Carnival events have taken many forms since the event’s first iteration in 1920. While the Ferris Wheel and Buggy have been constants for many decades, some traditions have faded into the past.

Canoe Tilting: Waterbound Warfare

Panther Hollow Lake, a part of Schenley Park near campus, was the site for Canoe Tilting competitions where teams of two people standing in a canoe would attempt to swamp another team's canoe either through fencing with oars, wrestling or shaking the boat.

Plank Jousting: Pillows at Dawn

Canoe Tilting later morphed into plank jousting during which male students fought using pillows as they stood on wooden planks over mud pits.

May Queen: Royalty Is Crowned

Several decades of Spring Carnival also included the crowning of a campus Queen. One of the earliest was crowned in 1921.

Gazorching: Water Balloons in Flight

In the 1970s, Spring Carnival Gazorching was a contest where fraternities launched water balloons at each other.