Classes, Culture and Outdoor Fun: Five Ways to Enjoy Family Weekend

Friday, Oct. 23, marks the beginning of a weekend of entertainment, family bonding and fun.

Family Weekend, a Smith tradition to celebrate college families, has been held on campus since 1951. Previously known as Parents’ Weekend, Family Weekend is an annual gathering of students and family members during the fall semester. After almost two months of college, students and family members are eager to reunite and relax. And there is not a moment during the three-day event that doesn’t offer families a chance to better acquaint themselves with Smith.

From getting a glimpse of a regular academic day for a Smith student to experiencing campus living at a house tea, everyone leaves Family Weekend knowing more about the college experience in which they are investing.

This year, a new first-year app created for the Class of 2019 will provide students and families with an online schedule of Family Weekend events. Copies of the schedule will also be available in the Family Weekend hospitality suite that is open Friday, Oct. 23, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Campus Center 103/104. The suite will also be open for arriving families on Saturday, Oct. 24, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Families can register online now for the weekend.

After attending President Kathleen McCartney’s welcome reception on Saturday, Oct. 24, at 9 a.m. in the Campus Center Carroll Room, families will face a multitude of choices for what to do next. To help manage the options, here are five things to look out for during Family Weekend.

1. Classes and Teas

What better way to see what day-to-day life is like for a Smithie than to attend classes on Friday morning, then join an afternoon house tea? A complete list of classes open to visitors and locations for teas will be available online and during Family Weekend registration. A Bipartisan Tea hosted by the Smith College Republicans and Smith Democrats will be held Sunday, Oct. 25, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. in the Campus Center Carroll Room and Wilson Atrium.

2. Cultural Events

Enjoy K-Pop and traditional dance performances during the Asian Teahouse Saturday, Oct. 24, at 7:30 p.m. in Sweeney Concert Hall. If you love lanterns and South Asian curry, head to the South Asian Students Association’s (EKTA) Vesak dinner and show to celebrate a Sri Lankan Lantern Festival. The dinner will be held on Saturday, Oct 24, at 5:30 p.m. in the Campus Center Carroll Room, followed by the free show at 7 p.m. Check the schedule for other performances and cultural events throughout the weekend.

3. Outdoor Activities

There is no place more beautiful than Northampton in the fall. Take in the colorful foliage during Family Weekend River Walk, which leaves from Paradise Pond Boathouse at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 24. Follow that exercise by hopping in a van at 1 p.m. at Chapin loading dock for a trip to the college’s MacLeish Field Station. Other recreational options include making s’mores with Smith’s Outing Club on Friday, Oct. 23, at 7:30 p.m. at the fire pit near the athletic fields, and apple cider pressing with the Center for the Environment, Ecological Design and Sustainability (CEEDS) on Saturday, Oct. 24, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Chapin Drive. Wrap up the weekend by signing up for the Family Fun Run/Walk sponsored by Smith Athletics Sunday, Oct. 25, at 9:30 a.m. outside the Campus Center.

4. Smith Standouts

Books and homework can keep students from visiting the college’s stellar art galleries and plant conservatories during the school year, so on Family Weekend, take your Smithie to see the “Woods of the World” exhibit of unique woods from around the globe at Lyman Conservatory, or the “Marion Dodd and the Hampshire Bookshop” historical exhibition at Neilson Library. Don’t miss the new Carol T. Christ Asian Art Gallery at the Smith College Museum of Art. All exhibits will be open during scheduled hours throughout the weekend.

5. Fall Fest

Save time to celebrate sustainability at Smith during the annual Fall Fest on Friday, Oct. 23, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Chapin Lawn. The event, organized by student Eco-Reps, the SGA Committee on Sustainability and other “green” organizations at Smith, features fun ways to learn about sustaining the environment. Savor some local ice cream and go on a bike hay ride. Don’t miss a chance to scavenge for free goodies in the campus-wide free box. Fall Fest is a zero-waste event.

Picking out pumpkins for painting during last year's Family Weekend activities.