Memory Mall was occupied by witches, zombies, superheroes, Star Wars storm troopers and pandas Friday night when 1,715 students attended Late Knights "Little Knight of Horrors."
On Friday evening, students gathered in costumes at the west end of Memory Mall where they could paint their own pumpkin, take their turn on the Mind Winder ride, attempt to topple their opponent on the Wrecking Ball, chase down their challenger in Laser down, craft their own customizable chocolates or cheer during the fan favorite costume contest.
"The goal of Late Knights events is always to provide a safe atmosphere and an alcohol-free alternative that appeals to every group on campus," Kristen Martell, student coordinator for Late Knights, said.
A DJ kept a party atmosphere going the whole evening. He played popular dance songs like the "Cupid Shuffle."
In the center of the mall, amidst all the activity, loud pleas could be heard coming from the "Standing 4 Kids Jail Cell" sponsored by Knight-Thon, UCF's largest student-run philanthropy.
Students could pay to have their friends arrested and thrown in jail. Prisoners then had to beg bystanders to donate double the amount that was paid for their arrest in order to be set free. All donations collected from the evening were for the Arnold Palmer Hospital.
On the sidelines of the event were photo booths, free food, Wii Dance games and many tables from various UCF organizations.
Elizabeth Buckeye, a junior studying creative writing who attended the event, said she had a good time.
"It's really awesome, especially with all the people in costume," she said.
For the students who did dress in costume, they had the opportunity to participate in the Fan Favorite Costume Contest, which featured zombies, a navy seal, banana man, a panda and a witch from Hogwarts, who ended up being the fans' favorite.
Martell said there was a very good turnout Friday evening. She said that the students were very excited for the Halloween event and that the students were the fan base dedicated to the theme.
"All the students who dressed up really made the event so much better," Martell said.
Courtney Boston, a UCF senior who attended last year's Late Knights Halloween event said this year's event did not seem as lively as the year prior.
Boston has attended a number of Late Knights events and encourages student to come out to one if they haven't before.
Emily Oritz, a freshman studying biology, was glad she attended.
"Late Knights events are pretty awesome," she said.
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