Chatham in Bloom: Living and Late Spring Traditions
As the Chatham community excitedly awaits this year’s Spring Formal on April 5, we can’t help but reminisce on the many spring celebrations and traditions of Chatham’s past and present… 💭
💐 May Day Tradition
Chatham’s May Day Festival dates back to 1905 and continued until 1947. This spring celebration centered theatrical and musical performances created by Chatham community members, all for a public audience. The May Day celebration varied each year in its themes, spanning from “fairytale” to “undersea.”
Some May Day performances included symbolic dances inspired by the natural elements and stories like Snow White and Cinderella. The event culminated with the crowning of a May Queen, wrapping up the academic term and preparing everyone for a prosperous, harmonious spring.
🎪 Spring Carnival
A less Midsommar-y May Day—this exciting event takes place on the quad, and students participate in various games from obstacle courses to backyard games, listen to live music, indulge in some typical fair-food, and snag some free T-shirts.
📗 Class on the Quad
One of the best features of Chatham’s Shadyside Campus is the quad. However, the temptation to skip class and sunbathe on the quad isn’t much of an issue here. Once spring comes, Chatham professors love taking their classes out into the elements.
Past classes ranged all the way from archery to fencing, but now, it’s a bit more tame, with many of our lecture and art-based classes venturing to the outdoors on those sunny spring days.
💃 Spring Formal
Just before finals season is Chatham’s Spring Formal dance! This night out allows students to take a break from the books and have some much needed fun with friends. The Formal’s locations typically branch out beyond Shadyside’s campus, including some of Pittsburgh’s best dance floors. Past years have included PNC Park, Eden Hall Campus—and this year’s at the Pittsburgh Aquarium.
🎭 Drama Club’s Spring Performance
The Drama Club works year-round preparing for the various shows they put on throughout the year. Every spring, you can expect yet another exceptional performance from them.
This year’s musical will be Little Women, taking place in Eddy Theatre from April 4th-April 6th.
💜 Day of Giving
This day comes once a year, allowing
Chatham’s community members,
alumni, and benefactors to contribute
to
the University. These
donations are put right back into
Chatham, its students, faculty, and
campus—bettering our community!
🎉 Lavender and Multicultural Celebration
This subset of Chatham’s Spring Commencement Celebration offers a safe space for students of color, international students, and LGBTQIA+ students to celebrate their achievements in solidarity with one another.
This event is far more than an academic celebration; it’s a moment to truly celebrate identity, community, and resilience.
🎓 Spring Commencement
This is Chatham’s largest and most anticipated celebration—a day filled with excitement, pride, relief, and the culmination of multiple years' worth of dedicated hard work. It’s more than simply walking across the stage, though—this monumental moment marks a new beginning for you while honoring the growth you’ve endured to get there.
Friends, family, and faculty gather to cheer you on, celebrating your achievements thus far and the path you’ve paved for an exciting journey ahead.
Lyn Bigley ’26 is currently pursuing her BFA in creative writing alongside a BA in psychology. She currently works as a library aide and a digital content creator for Chatham University. In her downtime, she enjoys looking at pictures of animals, playing video games, impulse buying, and watching reality TV.