Pixel Fest Recap 2026

On January 31st, OHS students from all over the world travelled to California for Pixel Fest. While this annual event only lasts one day, it's always packed with fun activities. The day-time activities included activity sessions, nature walks, and the Club Expo. 

In the morning, students typically check-in to the event and collect their nametags and OHS merch. It's also when many students reunite with friends. "I loved it when I met all of my friends after a long time!" sophomore Sahej Sarai exclaimed. 

Activity sessions, ranging from games, to nature walks, and interactive workshops, provided students with opportunities to connect and make new friends. "I loved the mini class I took with Dr. Zarlengo," sophomore Karina Solodova said. 

In the afternoon, students got ready to party the night away during the main event of the weekend: Winter Formal. 

Notably, the event took place at a different location rather than its usual venue, the Jen-Hsun Huang Engineering Center on the Stanford campus, as the Winter Formal dance was instead held in the ballroom of the Sheraton Palo Alto Hotel. While the change was unexpected, the new venue came with benefits. Since many OHSers stayed at the Sheraton Hotel for Pixel Fest each year, they didn't have to worry about transportation to and from the Stanford campus. Students could also retire early to their hotel rooms, or extend the party with friendly board/card games by the poolside. 

The atmosphere of the dance was bright and glowing, perfectly matching the theme, Cosmic Glow. Students donned glow-in-the-dark bracelets as they danced the night away. A highlight in the decorations was the 3D-printed Pixels sitting on the dining tables. "The food was surprisingly good and nutritious compared to our normal pizza and pasta (which is also dangerous for the dresses)," noted Karina Solodova. 

Much fun ensued on the dance floor, with students forming trains and dance circles to hits like Rasputin. There was also excitement off the dance floor, as junior Lanlan Huang surprised her friends "by showing up at the beginning of the dance (told them I wasn't going to go and then hopped on a flight from LAX)." 

Overall, the Pixel Fest weekend was full of fun and quality time with friends. In our survey, Winter Formal Recap, students answered polls to share more details about their experiences. Here is what they had to say: 

How would you rate the events overall? (On a scale to 1-5, from "not great," to "AMAZING") 

3 — 7.7% 

4 — 76.9% 

5 — 15.4% 

What did you enjoy most about the event(s)? 

Music — 61.5% 

Decorations/theme — 23.1% 

Activities/games — 30.8% 

Being with friends — 92.3% 

Dancing — 46.2% 

Food — 38.5% 

If Pixel Festival / Winter Formal were a movie, what genre would it be? 

Chaos compilation — 46.2% 

Coming-of-age — 30.8% 

A very long chase sequence — 7.7% 

Be honest: did you plan to dance, and then actually dance? 

Yes, and I danced a lot — 53.8% 

I said I wouldn't and then did — 23.1% 

Absolutely not — 15.4% 

I mostly watched — 7.7%