‘This is my Super Bowl’: UVA students go all out for Trick-or-Treating on the Lawn

Hundreds of costumed trick-or-treaters descended on the University of Virginia’s Lawn Friday night, weaving between columns and climbing pavilion steps in search of sweet treats to fill their bellies.

Lawn and pavilion doorsteps were transformed into scenes from beloved movies and shows as students in costume handed out candy. Visitors were welcomed with imaginative themes ranging from “Despicable Me” and “SpongeBob SquarePants” to Disney princesses.

Among the crowd of excited kiddos was Margaret MacFarlane, a 5-year-old dressed up as a UVA cheerleader who was most excited to rip open a box of Nerds, her candy of choice.

Margaret MacFarlane eyes the Sour Patch Kids that a UVA student places in her basket. She decided to dress up as a UVA cheerleader because she has been to several UVA sporting events since moving to Charlottesville in August.

She moved to Charlottesville in August after living in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Her parents, who grew up in Charlottesville and met at Western Albemarle High School, were also experiencing their first Trick-or-Treating on the Lawn.

Since their move, MacFarlane has attended several UVA sporting events with her family, which inspired her costume. A soccer player herself, she’s especially drawn to UVA women’s soccer.

“I like watching soccer games,” MacFarlane said.

Izzy Baudinet eagerly stretches out her pillowcase in anticipation of sweets. Her sisters, Ava, Clara and Millie, rushed behind her to get to the Hogwarts-inspired Lawn rooms.

The Baudinet sisters got more than candy at one stop. Dressed in their Harry Potter-themed costumes, Izzy, Ava, Clara and Millie discovered three Lawn rooms decorated as Hogwarts – a perfect match for their outfits.

Three Lawnie neighbors on West Lawn had banded together to transform their doorsteps into a Hogwarts-inspired scene, complete with themed decorations that delighted trick-or-treaters.

“I was so confused because I didn’t know Harry Potter was really popular for older kids,” Izzy said.

From left to right, fourth-year students Samatha Saks, Zach Palazzotto and Ethan Weisenberg man the candy table outside of Palazzotto’s Lawn room. The trio worked alongside other members of the Engineering Student Council executive board to pull off a “Monsters, Inc.” themed display.

Zach Palazzotto, a fourth-year biomedical engineering student, transformed his Lawn room into a scene from “Monsters, Inc.” for Halloween, complete with the movie’s theme song playing on repeat.

“This is my Super Bowl,” Palazzotto said. It was his fourth Halloween at UVA, passing out goodies to trick-or-treaters on the Lawn.

The day before the event, Palazzotto constructed balloon arches and transformed his room’s shutters into replicas of the iconic doors from the Pixar movie. Working alongside his fellow Engineering Student Council executive members, the group spent hours turning the space into a must-see stop.

This year marks Palazzotto’s final Halloween passing out candy to trick-or-treaters on the Lawn, a moment both sweet and sentimental.

“I know I’m going to be invested in UVA, so I’ll probably come back with my kids in the future,” he said.

Enjoy a few more photos from the fun-filled evening on the Lawn.