Festive weekend provides plenty of fun for the whole family

Contact: Jeanne Baron
Photo of a family visiting WMU's campus.

Family Weekend is Oct. 26-28.

KALAMAZOO—Hundreds of parents and family members of Western Michigan University students will be in Kalamazoo Friday through Sunday, Oct. 26-28, for Buster's Family Weekend Adventure.

The University's annual Family Weekend honors the year-round commitment parents, guardians and other family members make to their college students and WMU. It also gives the special people in students' lives an excuse to come to town for a visit, as well as a chance to experience what college life is like at WMU.

Numerous events on campus and in the surrounding communities will keep students and their family members entertained throughout the weekend. Many of the events taking place on campus are free for WMU students and for those presenting the MyWMU Concierge card or temporary WMU Family Connection card.

The campus activities will begin Friday with an admissions open house from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Bernhard Center for those who preregister. The open house is a great way for prospective students to see all that WMU has to offer. It includes campus tours, academic presentations, a chance to talk with faculty and staff members, on-site admission and lunch in a dining hall.

Friday will also feature Classes Without Quizzes, interactive information sessions where participants are schooled on a variety of topics by some of the University's most engaging faculty and staff members. Offerings will include overviews of WMU's particle accelerator and new medical school, a presentation on how to remain physically active when going to college, a campus landscape tour, an anthropology department demonstration and closer examinations of some of the University's nationally known academic programs.

Other Family Weekend highlights

  • The annual tailgate buffet and football game on Saturday
  • A "Grab the Reins" Brunch in one of the dining halls on Sunday
  • Little Siblings Weekend hosted by the Residence Hall Association

Throughout the weekend, families may also use campus facilities such as the Student Recreation Center and Gabel Natatorium; go to WMU concerts, theatre productions, art exhibits and athletic competitions; and enjoy the sights, sounds and tastes of downtown Kalamazoo.

Family Weekend is organized by Parent and Family Programs, which serves as a contact point, liaison and information gateway for the parents and family members of WMU students. A main goal of the office is to help families proactively support their students' growth, personal development and educational success.

For more information or to obtain tickets to Family Weekend events, visit wmich.edu/parents.

Direct questions to Shari Glaser, director of Parent and Family Programs, at wmu-parents@wmich.edu or (269) 387-4820.