Dawson Fest + Pony Puff
Get Ready for Dawson Fest + Pony Puff 2026!
September 25, 2026
Giddy up, Mustangs!
It’s time for the ultimate Dawson tradition where community spirit, friendly rivalry, and sheer fun collide. Mark your calendars, put on your blue and white, and get ready for an afternoon packed with high-energy games, delicious eats, and our beloved Pony Puff showdown.
What is Dawson Fest + Pony Puff?
Part fall carnival, part epic spirit day, Dawson Fest + Pony Puff brings students, families, faculty, and alumni together for an unforgettable celebration.
Dawson Fest: Our campus transforms into a vibrant festival featuring local food trucks, lawn games, bounce houses, face painting, roller skating, Dunk-a Teacher, and lots of Mustang spirit!
Pony Puff: Watch and cheer loudly as our upper school students face off in the ultimate flag football tournament to claim bragging rights and the coveted Pony Puff Trophy.
FAQ
| Are parents invited to attend? |
Yes! We would love to have parents as this event. It is designed to bring the entire Dawson community together. |
| Are the activities appropriate for all ages? |
Yes, there is something for everyone! We will have inflatables of every size and type to appeal to K through 12 as well as a variety of activities. Feel free to bring younger siblings as well and they can participate, too! |
| What if my child is not planning to attend? Can I still come? |
Of course! This is a Dawson-wide event and we want everyone in our community to attend. There will be plenty of parents hanging out and enjoying the afternoon. Come watch the pony puff game and cheer on the rest of our upper school students as they play their hearts out to claim the championship. |
Is it appropriate for the younger students to stay and participate in the pep rally and pony puff game? |
We would love to have all our students stay and cheer on our upper school students at the Pep Rally and Pony Puff game. This is a great opportunity to show our younger students all the fun they have to look forward to when they reach upper school. Show your Dawson Spirit by cheering for all our teams. |
| Are all the activities free or do we need to buy tickets? |
All the activities are free EXCEPT the dunk tank, spirit wear, and food trucks. The Dunk Tank is a DFA fundraiser this year. Tickets can be purchased with cash or credit card. $10 for 3 balls or $20 for 3 balls and an automatic dunk. |
| Will you take credit cards at the event? |
| Yes! The food trucks will also accept credit cards. |
| What is the spirit tunnel? |
The Spirit Tunnel is a tradition at Dawson where the middle and upper school students form a human tunnel for the lower school students to run through as they head in to Dawson Fest and begin the celebration. It’s a festive event that has everyone cheering for Dawson. |
| What are Spirit Activities? |
Spirit activities are a set of stations where everyone can create a variety of Dawson-themed spirit gear to show their school spirit. We hope that students can keep these items and bring them out on spirit days throughout the year as well as bring them to Dawson games and show their Dawson pride. |
| What's an automatic dunk for the Dunk Tank? |
If you purchase the “automatic dunk” option, you will get 3 balls to try to dunk a teacher, but if you are not successful at hitting the target with one of your three balls, then you get to run up and push the button to automatically dunk the teacher! It’s a guaranteed dunk. |
| I'm volunteering, where do I go? |
There will be a Volunteer Check-In tent right in front of the Athletic Center. You can stop by to check-in, grab a name tag and get instructions and directions before heading to your station. |
| I have looked through the FAQ's, but I still have questions. Who can I contact? |
Feel free to reach out to Melissa Blumenshine at dawsonfest@dawsonschool.org. |
Schedule at a Glance
1:30 - 1:45 p.m.: All-School Spirit Tunnel
1:45 - 4:15 p.m.: Dawson Fest Opens
Roller Skating | Inflatables | Face Painting | Dunk a Teacher | Spirit Station Crafts | Cotton Candy | Games
Food Trucks & Spirit Wear available until 5:45p.m.
4:30 p.m.: Pony Puff Pep Rally & Kickoff
Food Truck Partners
Thanks to our food truck partners for agreeing to join us on September 25!
Colorado Taco Truck
iPie
Kona Ice
Rush Coffee
Snowy Churro
Volunteer
Dawson Fest takes all of us to make it a remarkable event. Consider volunteering for a shift or two. You can assist with setup, help supervise an inflatable, sell dunk tank tickets, run the spirit wear bus, or help with clean up. Click here to sign up!