As everyone settles back into the fall cheer post-COVID lockdown, some old activities from the years before the pandemic start to return! On the weekend of October 8th, the annual Harvest Festival came back to Chino Hills right next to Ayala High school.

The Harvest Festival has always been a fun place to hang out with friends, but now that COVID has changed the world, people wonder if anything can ever be the same again.

“My friends and I went right when it opened, so there weren’t many people. However, once it turned later in the evening, more people started to show up. It made me a little nervous with people crowding around everywhere,” said senior Magdelaina Solario.

“I would say it was a memorable experience. Beforehand I never really hung out with friends like this after school, and it was one of the best times I’ve had with the friends I went with,” she said.

Despite the underlying fear of catching a case of COVID-19, Solario still managed to have a great time with her friends. However, there weren’t exactly new COVID precautions at the Harvest Festival. Solario managed to stay safe, but others might share different opinions.

“A lot of people didn’t wear masks, and now that they’re not required, I got a bit worried,” said senior Kelly Headley. “I had a ton of fun, don’t get me wrong, but sometimes I do still wish there were at least some precautions.”

As much as people enjoy having the return of the Harvest Festival, it seems that there’s still a lot of nervousness going around about the ongoing pandemic. Even though COVID has changed the lives of many, some are still happy to have the remnants of their old lives return. It doesn’t hurt to have a little bit of fun, though.

“I’m vaccinated and I wear masks, so I felt pretty safe with the people I was with,” said senior Isabella Moreno. “I had a lot of fun. The rides were pretty great, the food was nice, and it was just a great day overall. I can’t wait to do more stuff this fall.”

Even though the Harvest Festival didn’t have its own COVID precautions, people are still able to make themselves feel safe by forming their own measures of safety. So, despite all the worries and nervousness, these three all admitted to having a fun night. Perhaps, in due time, the fun fall activities can make a big comeback in the following years!