By Josh Siatkowski | Staff Writer
A tradition since 1932, leaders in the Baylor community have worked to put on Diadeloso for over 90 years. As Diadeloso 2026 enters the history books, numerous campus groups are patting themselves on the back for facilitating a break from school and work for the estimated 2,500 in attendance.
This year’s Diadeloso featured 24 attractions, including a petting zoo with kangaroos and sloths, a rock climbing wall, numerous inflatable obstacle courses and even a Texas-style plastic skating rink.
For students, the day was a successful break from the classroom routine. As they ended a morning full of Nerf gun battles, obstacle courses and gaga ball, Waco freshman Christian Neal and Celina freshman Tyler Haynie shared their appreciation for the day off.
“This is a great day to just, you know, let everything go from school right now — no stress, just having fun with everybody,” Haynie said.
Behind the smiling faces and excitement, though, were months of planning from dozens of people across multiple groups. Poway, Calif., senior Robbie Crawford, the Diadeloso Chair for Baylor Chamber of Commerce, has been one of the leaders of Diadeloso 2026 since work began back in September. He’s been in charge of a 15-person committee and has helped oversee the event’s $90,000 budget.
“I have someone in charge of the food trucks, the attractions, the games and the rest of chamber really helps at the end with getting everything set up, the backdrops that we paint, helping set up and tear down the event,” Crawford said.
This year, Crawford and the chamber brought in a few new attractions, including an ice rink and a bumper car station. He also worked with Student Activities and Baylor Eats to help bring the midday meal back to the center of Fountain Mall after it was moved to the dining halls for the 2024 eclipse.
“We worked with our partners in Dining and Student Activities and collaborated with Student Life to make it possible for both groups to get it back on,” Crawford said. “I think it’s been great. The kinetic energy in the middle has been super helpful. It definitely feels more full on campus.”
Residential District Manager for Baylor Eats Michael Sanders said lunch was a team effort for the dining department. Preparing food for 3,000 people and transporting meals from Penland to Fountain Mall throughout the day, he said, took dozens of managers and even more staff members to make the day run smoothly.
“On the day of the event, we’ve got … approximately 30 salaried managers that are all out here taking shifts, working together, kind of jumping in, doing something a little bit out of the norm,” Sanders said.
While it’s difficult work that often goes unnoticed, Sanders said it was rewarding.
“We spend a good portion of our days in the office or within our assigned area, so we all really enjoy getting out here doing something different, kind of serving the campus community all as a whole,” Sanders said.
For the various teams that made it possible, the work paid off, as students responded positively to both the food and the attractions.
“They did a 10/10 job,” Neal said. “Awesome food, awesome people, awesome events.”
The only complaint Neal had was toward his own friend, who accidentally gave him a shot to the gums in a tense standoff at the Nerf gun battlefield. Thankfully, Neal said the provided safety goggles kept his eyes safe, and other than that, the day was perfect.
“Ultimately, that’s what the day is for,” Crawford said. “It doesn’t really matter how much I enjoy it because the event is for the students.”
