At first, 3-year-old Taryn didn’t want to go up to Puddles and Chuckles the Clown at the Fall Family Carnival on Saturday at Wichita State. But with a little coaxing from her mother, WSU student Chantel Gladney, Taryn faced her fears.

“She doesn’t like clowns, but she wants a balloon,” Gladney said to Puddles while her daughter let out a scream.

After meeting Puddles and Chuckles—whose propeller hat whirled at top speeds in gusts over 20 miles per hour—Taryn went to the petting zoo. She fed a baby cow and pet a goat almost as big as her.

“The petting zoo is her favorite,” Gladney said. “It’s a fun, family-friendly event. We come every year.”

The rabbits, chickens and even a fan-favorite llama were all part of this year’s carnival. The event saw hundreds of people on the West Heskett lawn to kick-off the first day of fall. The Student Activities Council plans about 150 events annually, with the spring and fall carnivals being two of the biggest.

SAC moved the last two carnivals to the Heskett Center lawn because of the Rhatigan Student Center construction.

“I prefer the RSC courtyard because it’s more centralized,” said Caleb Davis, the interim chair for SAC’s family committee. “But it’s still pretty awesome. It’s a great day for a carnival.”

Davis wore a Superman costume, other volunteers donned capes, carried Captain America shields, or dressed as Johnny Depp in “Alice in Wonderland” to support the superhero-themed carnival. Besides this year’s theme, the biggest talk of the event was the nice weather. Compared to April’s high temperatures during the Spring Family Carnival, Saturday’s breeze and 70 degrees couldn’t be beat.

“Last year it was so hot, so this is nice,” Brandy Williams, a 2006 WSU graduate, said. “It’s a really neat experience, and I like to bring my son.”

After Williams’s son begged for a pirate face painting, he dragged his mom along to the moon bounce, which is a favorite among the visitors, Davis said.

“I think we spent our entire time at the train and this blue one last year,” Michele Garner said about her sons on the moon bounces. “They’ll hit all these. The petting zoo is usually last because they don’t want to wait in lines.”

With a little wind and cooler temperatures, this fall’s carnival seemed to be a sure hit among parents and children alike.

“It’s beautiful out today,” Garner said. “It’s perfect for it.”