Families, alumni gather at Lehigh for joint weekend festivities

This weekend, alumni, students and their families are invited to Lehigh’s campus to take part in Family Weekend and Homecoming.

The events, taking place Oct. 24 through 26, will include a home football game against Fordham University, a tailgate party, campus tours, open houses and many more activities.

Family weekend provides an opportunity for Lehigh students to show their families a glimpse into what life at Lehigh is all about. Parents also have the opportunity to meet with professors to ask questions about their children’s courses and get information about academics.

Alternatively, Homecoming weekend brings alumni back to South Mountain to rekindle old friendships and support their alma mater.

In previous years, Family Weekend and Homecoming were separate events held a few weeks apart.  This year, the Office of Advancement, which is responsible for planning these events, decided to combine the two events into one big celebration of Lehigh life.

Sara Messick, associate director of University Events, said the benefits of combining the two events into one weekend heavily outweighed the potential challenges. She said that by creating one larger event, both families and alumni have more opportunities to experience Lehigh and the South Bethlehem community. Additionally, meshing Family Weekend and Homecoming encourages networking for students and their families, and alumni.

“I’m excited for my parents to get a better perspective on what I’m experiencing here at Lehigh, and for them to be able to put faces to names,” Chris O’Neill, ’18, said.  “I’m also excited just to see them and get a taste of home as well.”

O’Neill said he and his family plan to attend the football game and an Integrated Business and Engineering breakfast.

Not all students are choosing to participate strictly in events planned by the university, however. Some students are simply looking forward to the chance to spend time with their families.

David Mugavero, ’18, said he hopes to have dinner with his family at a restaurant in Bethlehem.  Mugavero and his family also plan to attend the football game.

The football game against Fordham will take place Saturday at Goodman Stadium. The game kicks off 12:30 p.m., but students and their families are encouraged to attend the tailgate, which begins at 11 a.m. at the tent outside of Goodman Stadium. Food and general admission tickets for the game are included with registration to the tailgate.

Activities this weekend also give students and their families the chance to experience all that Bethlehem has to offer. Trolley and walking tours through Historic Bethlehem will be offered on Saturday afternoon.  Highlights of the tours include historic mansions of Bethlehem and a collection of Germanic Colonial Architecture.  Additionally, the rise and fall of Bethlehem Steel tour will take place Saturday, leaving from the Steel Stacks visitor center.

A full list of events and times can be found at lehigh.edu/familyweekend.