Every year at Branson offers something new and exciting, but annual events — from holiday and cultural celebrations to the campus traditions unique to Branson — are what bring our close-knit community together. Every time of year holds something special to look forward to. So, mark your calendars: here are Branson’s most beloved school traditions.

Convocation
As Branson’s opening ceremony, Convocation is the first major event of the school year, where the community celebrates the beginning of a new year and the senior class as they commence their final year at Branson. Convocation features performances from Branson music students, poem readings and inspiring faculty speeches. Convocation serves to set an uplifting tone for the school year ahead.

Junior Talent Show
The annual Junior Talent Show, this year taking place in September, is one of the year’s headlining annual events, treasured by students and reliably a crowd-pleaser. JTS puts juniors in the spotlight with the (mandatory) opportunity to showcase their unique talents in front of the Branson community. It is an electric night filled with laughter and applause. Though you may spot some juniors on campus rehearsing skits and dance numbers in the weeks leading up to the big night, the final show ultimately comes as an unpredictable series of acts. Historically, JTS has featured dance numbers, fashion shows, trivia games, lip sync battles and live cooking. Nevertheless, every year brings something new to the stage. The action-packed night closes with senior superlatives, put together by the juniors to commemorate the graduating class. JTS is a major school-year highlight for the whole community.

Winter Arts Festival and Tree Lighting
In early December, Branson hosts a two-day event of holiday festivities and celebration of the arts with the Winter Concert and Arts Festival. At the Winter Concert, music students from Chamber Music, Jazz and Chamber Singers perform in a mid-year showcase. Soon after is the Winter Arts Festival and Tree Lighting, the festive lighting of the giant spruce tree at the foot of campus. The evening begins with a dinner and fundraising event. Next, the musical fun continues with caroling from Branson’s a cappella groups during the tree lighting. The night of the Arts Festival proceeds with music recitals, a show by acting students and a student art exhibit.

Dance Concert
The first event after the return from winter break is the annual dance concert, where students of Branson’s dance classes take the stage. Last year, all three nights of the dance concert sold out. The concert is a highlight for the community, who get to watch their peers shine in a new light. For dance students, the buzzing excitement in the days before the concert, and the cheering and applause afterward, is hard-earned and duly deserved.

Gospel Night
Gospel Night is a 30-year-old Branson tradition celebrating what we like to call our “beloved community” here at Branson. Popularized by Martin Luther King Jr., a “beloved community” is one in which everyone is cared for. Gospel Night is the night (or nights, since last year a second date was added due to the overwhelming popularity of the first) where a choir made up of students, parents, alumni, faculty and staff come together to sing in this spirited, interactive night of song. Everyone is welcome to participate and join the celebration.

Youth Forum
Youth Forum is a conference organized by students for students that features keynote speakers and various workshops. Designed to promote youth advocacy, many workshops in the past have been on important activist topics like climate policy, criminal justice reform and ethics in AI. But there have also been workshops on beekeeping, Latin ballroom dancing and building a business while in high school. You can sign up for the two workshops that appeal to you most, but all offer the opportunity to hear from interesting speakers and engage with something new. You can also bring a new perspective to Youth Forum by helping organize it and have a positive impact on your community!

Holi
In the spring, Branson’s Middle Eastern and South Asian affinity group hosts a lively celebration of Holi. Holi, a Hindu tradition also known as the Festival of Colors, marks the end of winter and the start of spring — a time of rebirth. Students celebrate by gathering on Prize Day Field to throw powdered colors at one another. The result is a mesmerizing explosion of color. Holi takes place March 14 this year.

Festival of Arts
The annual Festival of Arts at Branson, better known to the community as FAB, is the time for students in the arts to showcase their year’s work. Students take an entire day off of classes to celebrate the arts at Branson and see their peers’ incredible work from the school year. Music classes perform their year’s portfolios, acting classes take the stage in improv shows and original plays and the works of students across the visual arts are put on display in a New House installation.

Multicultural Food & Film Festival
The Multicultural Food and Film Festival is a day to celebrate the diversity of cinema and cuisine. Last year, for the festival’s theme of “age” and defying expectations, “Ladybird,” “The Holdovers” and “The Dead Poets Society” were shown alongside dumplings and boba tea. The year prior was a two-day event, with tables offering several global cuisines for the community to sample. The movie selection was centered around the theme of “family.” Over the two days of the film festival, a total of eight films were shown with the headliners being the American film “The Farewell,” the Saudi Arabian “Wadjda,” the Chilean “The Maid” and the Japanese “The Shoplifters.”

Immersives
This year marks the fourth year of immersives at Branson — many students’ favorite time of the school year. Here’s the gist: For the last two weeks of the school year, Branson students choose from a large catalog of “immersive” courses — from the academic to the more artistic or more athletic. All of the courses are taught by Branson faculty and staff but are fun and intriguing diversions from the regular academic curriculum. And the best part: no homework allowed. Courses in the past have ranged from Aristotle to archery to the art of knitting. There are also recurring favorites, such as African Drumming and Meditation and Mindfulness; you can sign up for Service Animals to help train (adorable) guide dog puppies. Last year, some immersive students took their two-week education global, traveling to Panama to learn about biocultural leadership. With the abundance of options, you are sure to find an immersive that suits your interests — no matter how niche those interests are (are you a Dungeons and Dragons fan? A lover of K-dramas? An Ultimate Frisbee die-hard?). Immersives are the sweet, two-week dessert at the end of a demanding school year — a chance to learn something new or practice an old skill, and meet more of your peers outside of your usual circle. And, most importantly, they are a lot of fun.