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Family Weekend stirs up fun for the whole family with festivities for all ages

Billy Rafael, Arts & Entertainment Editor

With the semester just about a quarter way through already, those feeling a little homesick can take comfort in Miami University's Family Weekend coming up.

Beginning on Friday Oct. 4, Miami students are encouraged to invite their whole family down for a weekend of activities hosted by Miami Activities and Programming (MAP).

According to senior Emily Hertel, Family Weekend co-chair, MAP focused on creating as full of a schedule as possible, keeping people on campus, giving them multiple options to spend their time and minimizing the breaks between events.

"Something we want to emphasize this year is making events open for all families, particularly younger siblings," Hertel said. "We wanted there to be a cohesiveness to the weekend."

The weekend will kickoff at Uptown Park Friday from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., with free food and live music. The Miami University Student Foundation will be hosting its 12th annual Auction & Dinner from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. in the Shriver Heritage Room, raising money for student scholarships. Families are then invited to a 9:30 p.m. bonfire at the patio behind Garland Hall, where there will be s'mores, popcorn and a magic show.

For Saturday morning, MAP has teamed up with the Oxford Farmer's Market, bringing in a petting zoo and a face painter in addition to the market's weekly offerings. Tailgate Town will then start up 11 a.m. on the lawn outside Millett, complete with food, inflatables and entertainment, leading into the football game against Central Michigan.

At halftime there will be a presentation for "Family Member of the Year," an award selected through an application process where students can submit a short essay on a family member who has made a substantial impact on them.

Saturday's festivities will conclude with food-loving comedian Jim Gaffigan putting on an all-ages show at Millett.

"I've seen him live before and he had me dying," sophomore Brian Mochtyak said. "I can't wait to see him again. The show [at Family Weekend] should be great."

Gaffigan is known for his clean comedy, going along with MAP's focus on making the whole weekend family-friendly. Tickets for Gaffigan's show are $38 and available through the Shriver Box Office.

Sunday morning there will be a closing brunch in Goggin Ice Center from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., featuring a keynote address from former head ice hockey coach Steve Cady.

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"Our main goal was to engage everyone," senior Abby Pautz, also co-chair for the event, said. "Even if you family isn't coming, you can still come out with your Miami family, the friends you've made here, and have a good time."

If your family cannot make it down this weekend MAP has other opportunities to expose them to the Miami atmosphere planned for the near future, including Homecoming Week starting Oct. 14 with the theme "Follow the Red Brick Road." In the meantime, tell your parents and siblings to dust off their red and white and prepare for an exciting weekend.