Friday, Sep 18, 2015
The annual welcome-back event featured food, fun and free giveaways
On Sept. 17, hundreds of students gathered on the campus mall for Cranberry Fest, a Rider tradition that featured an outdoor lunch, live music, activities and free giveaways. The annual welcome-back event was first held on May 4, 1979, to celebrate our namesake, Andrew J. Rider. Rider introduced the cranberry to the Queen of England and hence she nicknamed him "The Cranberry King of New Jersey." Cranberry Fest is one of several signature events that herald the beginning of the school year at Rider. Other events include the I Love College Dance Party, which was held on Sept. 11; Midnight MAACness on Oct. 9; and the fall concert featuring Big Sean on Oct. 16.