Events and Activities
Parents and Families Weekend 2024 will provide numerous activities for you and your KSU student(s) to participate in and enjoy as a family.
Join us for a weekend full of fun!
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Friday, Sept. 20
Check-in |Kent State Student Center Lobby | 3 - 8 p.m.
Check-in will take place in the Kent Student Center Lobby, located in the Kent Student Center, from 3 - 8 p.m. There you will receive event lanyards, meal tickets, a la carte event tickets and more! The Annual Black Squirrel Festival will also be held during this time for you to mix and mingle with other families and partake in the fun activities.
42nd Annual Black Squirrel Festival | Student Green and Risman Plaza | 4 - 7 p.m.
A tradition for 42 years, the annual Black Squirrel Festival will take place on the Student Green and Risman Plaza. The Black Squirrel Festival, which is hosted by the Flash Activities Board, attracts more than 3,000 visitors each year and serves as a great opportunity for students and their families to learn more about the Kent community as a whole! Many of the more than 400 student organizations and local vendors will be set up at the event. Additionally, the event host various student bands, family activities, and more! The first 175 guests to visit the Parents and Families Engagement table during the event will receive a free Black Squirrel Festival t-shirt!
Parents and Families Weekend Private Dinner | Design and Innovation Hub (DI Hub) | 4 - 9 p.m.
*Meal voucher required
A private exclusive dinner for all weekend participants. Badge is required for entry. Experience our Certified Nut Free facility with fellow students and parents enrolled into the 2024 Parents Weekend Dining Passport. Check out the action on display at the Round Grill station, savory fresh prepared food at Culinary Creations and Wheatless Ways or sample some of our house spun Gelato.
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Saturday, Sept. 21
Breakfast |Eastway Dining | 8 - 11 a.m. | Meal voucher required
Explore Eastway Dining for breakfast and many varieties of foods offered from made-to-order omelets, fresh baked pastries and many more breakfast classics. A meal ticket is required for entry.
Check-in | Kent State Student Center Ballroom | 2nd Floor | 8 - 10:45 a.m.
Check-in will take place in the Kent Student Center Ballroom located on the 2nd Floor for those unable to check-in on Friday.
Parents and Families Appreciation Weekend Opening Pep Rally | Kent State Student Center Ballroom | 2nd Floor | 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Join Parents and Families Engagement for an opening weekend pep rally full of giveaways and activities. Lunch will immediately follow the pep rally.
Museum | 515 Hilltop Drive Kent | 2 - 4 p.m.
The museum serves as the home of extraordinary collections of historic dress, fashion, textiles, and decorative arts. It showcases works by many of the world’s great artists and designers, known and unknown, from across time and continents.
Guests are asked to enter the museum through the front entrance facing Main Street while the Fashion School undergoes renovations.
May 4 Visitors Center | 147 Taylor Hall | 1 - 5 p.m.
The Visitors Center, located in Taylor Hall, contains a permanent exhibition of the student anti-war movement, historic artifacts, and film about the events of May 4, 1970 featuring interviews with some of the participants and students who were wounded on that day.
Outside the May 4 Visitors Center, guests may take a self-guided tour of the 18-acre site, recently designated as a National Historic Landmark. The experience is powerful and immersive while providing context and multiple perspectives on the May 4 tragedy.
College Open Houses | Various Locations | 1 - 3 p.m.
At the College Open Houses, all families will have an opportunity to interact with college leadership, learn and explore academic and student services available, and tour facilities. Various activities, give-a-ways and snacks will be provided during the following open houses:
Aeronautics and Engineering
College of Aeronautics and Engineering
Architecture and Environmental Design
- College of Architecture and Environmental Design
Arts and Sciences
- College of Arts and Sciences, Bowman Hall, Room 102
Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship
- Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship Atrium, 2nd Floor
University College
- Center for Undergraduate Excellence, Conference Rooms 141 & 143
*Honors College (only for Honors College students and their families and guests)
VR Goggles Demonstrations | The Cene | College of Architecture & Environmental Design | 1:30 - 2:30 p.m.
The College of Architecture and Environmental Design is leading the way through the use of advanced technology within the disciplines of the built environment. Join us for a demonstration of some of the latest technology used at the CAED, including virtual reality headsets, and augmented reality, experienced through personal smartphones. The demo will include an opportunity for some participants to experience a virtual space firsthand.
University Housing Door Decks and Desserts | Living In The Arts Space, Prentice Hall | 1 - 4 p.m.
During this event families will have a chance to engage with various levels of professional staff in University Housing and learn more about the residential community of your student’s hall. Guests will also have the opportunity to make door decorations with your student and grab a treat!
Kent State Esports Gaming Demonstration |2nd Floor University Library | 2 - 4 p.m.
Experience the Esports phenomenon and learn more about Kent’s student organization dedicated to all things Esports. Guest will learn more about the organized competitive video gaming, tour facilities and play games in Kent State’s Esports Complex.
Kent Interhall Council Ice Cream Social | Tri Towers Rotunda | 2 - 4 p.m.
I scream! You scream! We all scream for ICECREAM! Come learn the “scoop” about the Kent Interhall Council while enjoying one of America’s favorite pastimes- ice cream. The Kent Interhall Council (KIC) provides a number of services to students and traditional programs such as Sextoberfest, Festival of Nations, and Sibs and Kids Weekend. Come check them out!
Design and Innovation Hub Make and Take | DI REACTOR, 1st floor (Room 150) | 3 - 5 p.m.
Design Innovation welcomes parents, families, guests and students to the DI HUB to participate in make-and-take activities in the Reactor. Join us for t-shirt and mug printing, vinyl cutting stickers, and dye sublimation magnets. Learn more about the initiative and available tools and technologies in Kent State’s largest makerspace! This event is limited to the first 100 guests.
Origami with Anthony | 310 Kent Student Center | 3 - 4 p.m.
Origami, known as a traditional and recreational art form developed in Japan with roots in China, showcases the art of paper folding. Join Anthony Serpette as he teaches families how to fold origami. Great as presents or a fun party trick
Health and Harmony with CAPS, Care Center, KSU Police and Hillel | Recreation and Wellness Center | 3 - 5 p.m.
This event is a collaboration between Counseling and Psychological Services, Crisis, Advocacy, Resources, Education, and Support Center, the Police, and Hillel to promote student mental health and wellbeing. Create your own emoji stress ball, participate in games for free swag, and enjoy a snack while learning more about resources to help support your mental health and well-being.
Cornhole and Pickleball | Recreation and Wellness Center | 3 - 5 p.m.
Try your hand at Cornhole and Pickleball in the Rec! Families registered for weekend will have free access to enter and utilize the Student Recreation and Wellness Center (SRWC). Stop by the Welcome Desk to inquire. Guests will be required to sign a Risk Waiver to participate.
The dress code can be summarized as follows:
- Athletic tops and shorts/pants are required.
- Jeans, khakis, and any other clothing with belts, studs, rivets, or exposed zippers are not permitted. These could tear the vinyl on the equipment, leading to potential health risks and costly replacements.
- Athletic, non-marking shoes with a full back and closed-toe are required in all areas, except locker room and pool area, to protect the feet from accidental dropping of equipment and to prevent slipping. Backless or partially backed shoes are not permitted as they can easily slip off and fail to provide full foot protection.
Family Movie Fun Night| Design Innovation (DI) Hub Auditorium | 4 - 6 p.m.
Join in on a family movie fun night sponsored by the Flashes Activity Board (FAB)! FAB is a student organization that hosts over 100 fun and exciting events to build a community on campus.
The movie selection is Despicable Me 4!
Flashes Bingo | 218 Kent Student Center | 4 - 6 p.m.
Love BINGO? Join in and interact with other families while scoring some AMAZING prizes! Don’t miss out on the fun!
Blue and Gold Paint and Sip |4 - 6 p.m. | 306 Kent Student Center |*$45.00 per person
Join in on the fun while following along with our step-by-step painting instructions. Create lasting memories with your Kent State student as you let your creativity soar! The cost for this event is $45 per person. Ticket cost includes one free drink ticket and snacks. Guests of all ages are welcome! Tickets to this event are limited to the first 100 guests.
Oktoberfest |Eastway Dining | 4 - 9 p.m. | Meal voucher required
Visit Eastway for dinner the annual Oktoberfest celebration! Enjoy an assortment of sausages, sauerbraten, spaetzle, Linzer cookies, draft keg root beer and many other items. Gutten/vegan options will be available.
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Sunday, Sept. 22
Sweet Wishes and Chocolate Kisses |1st Floor, Kent Student Center | 10 - 11 a.m.
Families will have an opportunity to write their students a sweet note that will be delivered by the Office of Parents and Family Engagement with a Hershey's Kiss attached to it later in the semester.