Administrators and the PTSA co-hosted the first Parent Fair on Aug. 31 on the Quad during Back-to-School Night.

This new event featured food for attendees and performances by the band, cheer and choir.

PTSA Vice President of Community Activities Esther Yoo, who helped plan the Parent Fair, said the goal of the event was to foster a stronger sense of community.

“Paly is such a large school with so much to offer, so sometimes it’s really hard to get a sense of cohesiveness,” Yoo said.

To address the issue, Yoo said the PTSA formed the Parent Fair to create an opportunity for families to connect with each other early in the school year.

“It is a wonderful opportunity to bring the parent community together and expose (them) to all that Paly has to offer,” Yoo said.

Parent Fred Mondragon said he enjoyed the event and the performances presented by the students.

“It’s exciting to discover new people and events, so I’m curious to see more about it,” Mondragon said.

Additionally, parents were able to meet representatives from student groups and gain insights about the different programs available to students.

Junior Samantha Fan, a representative of Paly Speech and Debate, said she enjoyed meeting with parents to talk about her club because it gave her the opportunity to express her passion for the program as well as showcase the organization’s accolades.

Fan also said the Parent Fair is an effective way to inform parents about student extracurriculars, which they can then talk about with their children.

Fan said, “Having (events) like this, parents get an inside view of what Paly is like and all the different things that happen.”