Gustavus families are getting ready for the annual Gustavus Family Weekend on October 12 to 14. 

From evening films in Wallenberg to bingo and pizza, students and their families will be busy enjoying campus and St. Peter.

To kick off the weekend, families are invited to attend classes and observe their student(s) in their academic habitat.

Those interested in some laughs can enjoy a comedy show put on by LineUs, the Gustavus improv group, on Friday night.

The Campus Activities Board (CAB) will also be showing the movie Incredibles 2 in the Wallenberg Auditorium both Friday and Saturday night.

Early-birds can wake up to coffee in the Courtyard Cafe on Saturday morning before a brief tour of St. Peter. Tours will happen at 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.

Keeping a little closer to home on the hill, all are welcome to attend a workshop on the history of Gustavus.

CAB will be describing life on the hill before and after the 1998 tornado, as well as some of our roots in history.

In lieu of the upcoming Nobel Conference, philosophy professor, Nobel Conference Director, and Gustavus Alumna Lisa Heldke will “overview the historic Nobel Conference hosted every year on campus. She will provide history and background, the purpose and vision of the conference, and provide the highlights of the 2018 topic and cutting-edge science issue; Living Soil: A Universe Underfoot,” CAB said.

There will be sessions involving study abroad options and prospective students before leading into Fall Fest in the Linnaeus Arboretum. 

Guests and students are able to enjoy the Arb while playing outdoor games, taking part in a treasure hunt, and finding their way through a tallgrass maze.

Gustavus’ three a cappella groups will be performing, as well as several ensembles from the gustavus Jazz Program.

“I am so excited to see all three a cappella groups perform at the Arb… they are all so talented and bring so much joy to our campus,” Sophomore Stella Hadjiyanis said.

Saturday night finishes out with a game of human bubble soccer, a game of trivia, and some bingo and pizza in Alumni Hall.

“The best part [is] pizza and bingo… sometimes my family got bored or [didn’t] have enough room in things they wanted to participate in,” Sophomore Meg Nipe said.

This year, however, there are many different things for families to take part in.

Finally, Sunday introduces the first taste of some of the Gustavus music groups with the Family Weekend Showcase concert.

The Gustavus Wind Orchestra, Gustavus Choir, Gustavus Symphony Orchestra and Gustavus Jazz Ensemble are only some of the groups performing in Christ Chapel. The weekend will be one to remember after the festivities finish and students return to reality.

The weekend will be one to remember after the festivities finish and students return to reality.