Family Weekend is quickly approaching, and this year has a full lineup of events and activities for students and their families to enjoy together both on campus and in Johnson City. The weekend’s events will begin on Sept. 26 and last through Sept. 28.
“It’s so beautiful to be here nestled in the mountains. I think that a lot of times us that live here locally can take that for granted, but families are able to visit and experience everything around us,” Assistant Director of New Student and Family Programs Trish Caughran said. “I think the main goal is to make sure that our families are comfortable and are just as excited as their students are to be here.”
The weekend will kick off on Friday with the Family Welcome Reception from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. This event will provide an opportunity for families to find community with other ETSU families as well as get to know faculty and staff.
Saturday’s tailgate will run from 2:30 p.m. until 5 p.m. before the big game. It’s expected to be the largest tailgate ETSU has had so far, with tickets capped at 1,000 people. The location was moved to the field next to the CPA to be able to accommodate the number of attendees.
Sunday will feature a Farewell Brunch from 10 a.m. to noon for families to say goodbye while enjoying brunch in the Dining Hall.
In addition to the three main featured events, there will be plenty of other opportunities for families to enjoy time together over the weekend.
Some of the activities require pre-registration due to limited space availability. These events include ziplining, planetarium shows and a forest walk. There are also guided tours in locations including the Martin Center, the Reece Museum and the local Harvey Family Flower Farm.
There are also several activities that don’t require pre-registration, both on and off campus. Some on-campus options include Stories and S’mores, Family Bracelet Making, the ETSU Buc Walk and an Observatory Star Party.
In Johnson City, activity options will include Tiebreakers, the Johnson City Farmer’s Market and Laurel’s Pumpkin Barn.
This will also be the second year featuring the Johnson City Stop and Shop. This weekend-long event features several participating merchants and vendors throughout Johnson City who will be offering discounts or freebies for families with a weekend pass.
All ETSU families who want to stay connected with their students and with campus are encouraged to join the free Family Portal. Caughran also wanted to remind families that they can always reach out to family@etsu.edu.
“From my own personal perspective, my hope is that families make wonderful memories. I hope they take home some great pictures and can think back to family weekend as a time that was just so much fun for them,” Caughran said. “But my ultimate goal is for families to know that they are part of our ETSU family and they are Buccaneers too. We are the Buc family, and I want them to feel like part of the excitement that we have here at ETSU.”
More details about Family Weekend, including the event schedule, can be found on ETSU’s website at etsu.edu/students/nsfp/family/familyweekend.php.
