Family Weekend will once again be taking place on campus Sept. 28 through Oct. 1, allowing families to enjoy many events such as a craft fair, an outdoor showing of Super Mario Bros., Greek Sing and an SIU football game.

Sean Cooney, assistant director of Student Engagement and Programming, said Family Weekend is a tradition on campus to welcome the families back. It’s usually four to six weeks after the students have been dropped off.

“It’s an opportunity for students to see their families, but also an opportunity for families to get welcomed back to campus, because families are just as much a part of SalukiNation as the students are,” Cooney said. “It’s a way to kind of make sure that [families] feel welcomed as part of the campus community as a whole”

Having the opportunity for families to reunite and spend time together also allows students to share their newfound lives at SIU with those who are closest to them.

“There’ll be all sorts of activities during the weekend. Having extra people on campus, enjoying the campus, seeing the campus, that’s all a benefit to the university,” Cooney said.

Students can share their passion and pride for their club activities, classes and for their school.

Junior Kate Faulkner said, “My parents usually come down for family weekend, and I really look forward to getting to see them. And as I’m in the band, I’m excited for them to get to see the stuff we’ve been working on. It’s also super cool to see all of my friends and other students happy with their own parents or families.”

Faulkner said it’s cool to see where everyone is from.

“For a lot of students, family weekend is the only time in the semester that they’ll get to see their parents or families and I think it’s really important for the school to show the importance of that by hosting different events for people who are able to participate,” she said.

The tailgate and football game are a popular activity for families to attend and helps to demonstrate the vast number of people who visit the campus that weekend.

“We know in the past the tailgate that is run by the student program…has had a couple thousand registers,” Cooney said. “That doesn’t mean individual families per se, that means registrants. But last year, we had nearly 2,000 people registered come to the tailgate last year.”

Here are some highlights for the weekend:

Thursday, Sept. 28

Events kick off with celebrity speaker Josh Peck. He is an actor and comedian, most well-known for his role as Josh Nichols in the sitcom Drake & Josh. A meet and greet will be offered afterwards to select audience members.

Friday, Sept. 29

The Student Center will be holding an SIU Craft Fair featuring products made by vendors in the community from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Free games will be offered at Bowling and Billiards that night in the Student Center from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

An outdoor showing of the movie Super Mario Bros. will take place at 8 p.m. on Shryock Lawn. Snacks and beverages will be provided.

Saturday, Sept. 30

Meet at Touch of Nature Camp 2 for the Rocky Legends 5K and 10K at 10 a.m. Registration is required.

Greek organizations will be showcasing their singing and dancing talents at their annual Greek Sing event on the steps of Shryock at 10:30 a.m.

The Family Weekend Tailgate will be held at Saluki Row from 1 to 3:30 p.m. Food will be provided free of charge while supplies last. Guests should register before arrival.

Make your way to Saluki Stadium at 4 p.m. to watch an SIU football game against Missouri State.

Sunday, Oct. 1

Register for the Saluki Family Association Brunch from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Saluki Plaza – Alumni Center. This event will provide the opportunity to visit with other SIU families and make long-lasting connections.

A full schedule of events can be found on the Family Weekend website. Email New Student Programs at [email protected] with any questions or contact the Saluki Family Association at 618-453-1000. For disability accommodation call 618-453-5738.

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