Family Weekend Brings Excitement To Red Fox Families

The annual event brought students and parents together for on-campus festivities.

From Sept. 27-29, Marist families came to campus to see their students and enjoy everything the campus has to offer. Photo by Elizabeth Baumgardner '25

Family Weekend, held from Sept. 27-29, was an event that many students had marked on their calendars, and the excitement of seeing family members on-campus after being away from home for a month was a palpable feeling amongst the Marist College student body. 

“I’m honestly just excited to see my long-distance friends and family,” said Katie Verde ‘28. “Since moving in, I haven’t had the opportunity to fully catch up with my loved ones. It will also be nice to get off-campus [with my family].” 

Friday night was filled with introductory activities. One of the main events was the escape rooms, which were set up in the Murray Student Center. In addition, Marist’s very own Singers and Orchestra provided musical accompaniment to the festivities in the Nelly Goletti Theatre. The Student Programming Council hosted a “Barbie” movie night in the student center to wrap up the night.

Saturday held the bulk of the activities for Family Weekend. Families began their day by attending a talk with Marist President Kevin C. Weinman. This “state of the college” discussion was held in the brand-new Dyson Center. Families had the opportunity to hear about the future of Marist and participate in a Q & A session with President Weinman.

Saturday also had a tailgate party, prior to Marist’s football game against Dayton. The Marist cheer and dance teams, along with the marching band, brought the energy to Tenney Stadium through their halftime performances. While Marist fell short to Dayton with a final score of 14-47, the Marist community set a new attendance record at the stadium, with a whopping 6,567 fans at the game.

“I was excited to be performing in front of my family at this football game,” said band member Matthew Shannon ‘28. 

For those not into football, Marist also hosted a carnival in the McCann gymnasium, filled with fun activities for everyone. Some of these festivities included bounce houses, caricatures and airbrush accessories, amongst many others. The women’s soccer team was also a part of the spectacle, as they played Manhattan under the Saturday night lights at 7 p.m. at Tenney Stadium. The team fell short to the Jaspers, losing 0-4 in a hard-fought battle.

Sunday was a day full of emotions for families, as they wished each other goodbye. Marist’s Family Farewell Picnic was the headliner, as many students spent the final few hours with their parents, siblings and loved ones.