Northwestern’s Family Weekend is a time for NU’s new and returning students’ families to visit the Evanston campus. Besides spending time as a family, the weekend schedule for Oct. 17 to Oct.19 also offers a wide variety of activities and programming. Take a look at the list below for some highlights of the weekend.
Catch a show
A long-standing family weekend tradition, Acapalooza features performances by all 12 of NU’s premier a capella groups. There are two scheduled performances Friday, at 6:45 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. Tickets to the performances are $10 each, and proceeds go toward Northwestern University Dance Marathon and the charities it supports.
The Bienen School of Music’s Symphonic Band will also be performing Friday at 7:30 p.m. in Pick-Staiger Concert Hall. Tickets are $6 for the general public and $4 for students. For a free performance option on campus, magician Daniel Martin will perform Saturday night at Cahn Auditorium.
Cultural and religious events
Across campus, various cultural centers will have programming throughout the weekend. The NU Black Alumni Association will meet at the Black House for a prayer walk and social at 4:30 p.m. Friday. Northwestern Hillel will have programming that includes a Friday afternoon open house, Shabbat services and dinner, and a Sunday morning bagel brunch. Sunday morning, there will also be Lutheran Campus Ministry Brunch & Worship and Sheil Catholic Center Sunday Mass.
The last game at the Lakefill
An especially missed Family Weekend tradition is back this year: the final football game at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium, where NU plays Purdue University at 2 p.m. To watch the game for free, Family Engagement will be hosting a football watch party on Kahn Plaza outside Norris University Center. The event will feature music, games, facepainting and a large screen to witness the match.
Faculty lectures educate across disciplines
NU’s faculty will be giving lectures throughout the weekend, showcasing a wide variety of schools and academic topics. During Round 1 on Friday, families can explore the future of journalism in “Journalism and AI: Preparing Students for Careers We Can’t Yet Imagine” with Jill Blackman or dive into how algorithms shape our musical tastes in Daniel Shanahan’s “Listening in the Age of the Algorithm.” To learn more about NU’s history, families can attend “Hail to Purple: Northwestern History & Traditions,” presented by Kevin Leonard or “Hearing Silences: 50 Years of Black Women Faculty at Northwestern University,” led by Ava Thompson Greenwell. Whatever the niche, there is likely a faculty lecture that will pique a family’s interest.
Explore what the NU campus has to offer
Family Ambassadors, students who volunteer to support NU families, will be leading campus tours on Saturday morning. There will also be campus resource sessions throughout the weekend and complimentary hours to access campus gyms, Blomquist and Henry Crown Sports Pavilion. Families can visit the Block Museum of Art on campus for free throughout the three-day occasion.
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