Family Weekend offers events to educate, delight

Family Weekend Hundreds of parents, grandparents, siblings and others will converge on campus beginning Sept. 23 for the College's annual Family Weekend. Here, families listen to an a capella concert during the 2009 Family Weekend. Photo by Stephen Salpukas

Family Weekend Families will have the chance to meet President Taylor Reveley on Saturday. Here, Reveley talks with a parent and student during the 2009 Family Weekend. Photo by Stephen Salpukas

Family Weekend At 7 p.m. on Saturday, families have a chance to cheer on the Tribe football team as they face James Madison University in Zable Stadium. Here, fans watch the game during Family Weekend in 2009. Photo by Stephen Salpukas

Family Weekend Families will have the chance to experience multiple concerts, receptions and other performances during the weekend. Here, family members wait for a performance to begin during Family Weekend 2009. Photo by Stephen Salpukas

by Erin Zagursky | September 23, 2011

Hundreds of parents, grandparents, siblings and other relatives of William & Mary students will converge on campus beginning Sept. 23 for the College’s annual Family Weekend.

The weekend offers multiple opportunities – from classes, concerts and cultural events to tours, sports and lectures – for families to get to know the College a little better while also enjoying time with their relatives.

Check-in begins at 8 a.m. on Friday, the same time that many classes open up to family members. Because of limited seating, not all classes on Friday are open to visitors. A full list of open classes may be found on the Family Weekend website.

On Friday night, the Women’s Chorus, the William & Mary Choir, the Wind Symphony, and the William & Mary Symphony Orchestra will present the Family Weekend Concert at 8 p.m. in William and Mary Hall. Also that night, families may take a lantern tour of the College’s "old campus." The tours will begin at the gated entrance to the Wren Courtyard at 9:15 p.m.

Other events available on Friday include tours of Swem Library, tours of the greenhouse on Millington Hall, canoeing and kayaking on Lake Matoaka, a performance by the Swing Dance Club, the Harvest Moon Festival, a Shabbat dinner, a wine and cheese social, an exhibit at the Muscarelle Museum, women’s soccer and field hockey games, a nostalgia night sponsored by Alma Mater Productions and more.

At 10 a.m. on Saturday, families can hear lectures from featured faculty members, including Robert Archibald, David Feldman, Jody Allen, Robert Vinson, Elizabeth Harbron and Jes Therkelsen. The faculty members will speak on a wide range of topics, including the chemistry of colors, filmmaking in undergraduate learning, the cost of higher education, and the Lemon Project. For more information on the lectures, including where they will be held, click here.

William & Mary President Taylor Reveley will host a welcome session in Phi Beta Kappa Hall at 11 a.m. on Saturday followed by the Family Weekend Picnic at noon. Later that afternoon, the College’s many a capella groups will perform at the Lake Matoaka Amphitheatre beginning at 2 p.m.

At 7 p.m. on Saturday, families have a chance to cheer on the Tribe football team as they face James Madison University in Zable Stadium.

Other events on Saturday include a Career Compass Program information session, a dance performance, men’s rugby and club soccer games, an AMP street fair, a performance by the Middle Eastern Music Ensemble, tours of the president’s house and Wren Building, an international expo and more.

Though the families will say goodbye to their William & Mary relatives on Sunday, there are still several events planned throughout the day for families to enjoy, including the Family Weekend 5K, receptions from the Baptist Collegiate Ministries and Catholic Campus ministry, field hockey and women’s soccer games and more.