Three weeks into the Fall 2021 semester, NIU will bring Huskie families back to campus for a full weekend of activities with their students.
Family Weekend, running Friday through Sunday, Sept. 10-12, will offer events across campus and beyond. Participants are encouraged to register and receive updates.
Organized by NIU’s Division of Student Affairs, the family festivities are extra special this fall.
“Statewide guidance on in-person gatherings meant we had to put Family Weekend on hold last year,” said Meg Junk, chief of staff for Student Affairs. “So, this is the first time since 2019 that NIU will open our campus to Huskie families for this beloved annual visit.”
In addition to a university commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, the weekend will be organized around the Huskie football’s season kickoff that Saturday, with a Family Tailgate and a Huskie Pregame Rush onto the field planned for students.
“Our students are craving a more traditional year with Red and Black pride,” Junk added. “This is our opportunity to reinforce what it means to be a Huskie.”
A few highlights bookending Family Weekend will be a Meet and Greet with President Lisa Freeman and Provost Beth Ingram on Friday, Sept. 10, and a Pancake Breakfast with the Student Government Association followed by Huskie Family Portraits on Sunday, Sept. 12.
On top of more than two dozen events on campus, the weekend will be packed with other opportunities like a Chicago River kayak tour and a disc golf tournament in DeKalb — as well as discounts, activities, performances and more throughout the nearby surrounding communities.
Families can book at stay at the Hotel at Holmes within the newly renovated Holmes Student Center and will be able to take advantage of deals on dining and much more around campus.
“While COVID-19 has been terrible in so many ways, the silver lining has been the ability to reinvent everything,” said Junk. “The experience the students and their families have this year will set the course for years to come, and we are excited to build Family Weekend back into our traditions!”
