Published: Oct. 9, 2009

Nearly 4,600 visitors are expected to attend this year's Family Weekend at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Many activities are sold out during the Oct. 16-18 event hosted by the CU-Boulder Parents Association. Family members will visit students and participate in activities such as Fall Convocation, a pep rally and brunch, golf tournament, the Colorado-Kansas football game, a 5K fun run/walk and tours of campus and community buildings, institutes and museums.

"We have three big goals for Family Weekend," said George "Barney" Ballinger, director of the CU-Boulder Office of Parent Relations. "We want to provide family members an opportunity to spend some quality time with their student, we strive to offer our visitors a wide variety of fun and interesting activities over the course of the weekend, and we want everyone to have their best visit ever to the campus and surrounding communities."

In celebration of Sewall Hall's 75th anniversary, staff from Residence Life and the Residential Academic Program will present a history of the building on Friday, Oct. 16, from 3 to 4:30 p.m. in Sewall Hall's Harding Lounge. Current and former residents are invited to attend along with their families.

The fourth annual Fall Convocation will take place on Friday, Oct. 16, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., including three panels and the Provost's Achievement Awards ceremony with welcoming remarks by CU-Boulder Chancellor Philip P. DiStefano.

The schedule for Saturday, Oct. 17, includes presentations on study abroad, off-campus housing and student life as well as conditioning classes at the Recreation Center, a "Buffalo Round-Up" event to greet the Buffs as they head to the stadium for the Colorado-Kansas football game, and CU's only kosher tailgate party, offered by the Hillel student group.

The "Buffalo Family Stampede" 5K run/walk on Sunday, Oct. 18, has attracted more than 600 participants. Proceeds from the event will be donated to the University of Colorado Student Union's Student Health Board.

Some no-registration events remain open and are listed on the event Web site at www.colorado.edu/familyweekend/. For more information contact the Office of Parent Relations at 303-492-1380 or parents@colorado.edu.