Family weekend

Fun ways to reconnect during family weekend

Family weekend is the perfect time to visit and check in with your child

By Sean Gilley

spgilley@iu.edu | @SeanyG729

Beginning freshman year can be a difficult time for both new students and their parents. Experiencing your child moving out of the house for the first time and taking their first steps towards adulthood on their own would make any parent worry.

As my parents’ first child, I know they had a difficult time trying to find the balance between checking in to see how I’m doing and letting me find my own path independently. Many families struggle to find the best way to reach back out to their child and reconnect for the first few times after moving into college.

Family weekend is a great time to visit your children and see how they’re adjusting to college life. Parents can tour IU’s beautiful campus and the Bloomington area. There are many different restaurants, bars and other places for families to explore while they’re visiting their children. As of now, IU hasn’t released an official schedule, but in years past, a main attraction has been IU’s football team. Last year, students and their families watched as IU faced off against the Cincinnati Bearcats. Visitors were also able to schedule free tours of the team’s locker room and the luxury suite and walk out on the field.

This year’s family weekend will be from Sept. 16-18, the same weekend of the IU - Western Kentucky football game.

The rest of Bloomington is normally packed for the duration of this weekend as well. The city has many different attractions, restaurants and bars for families to check out as well. From Siam House to Nick’s English Hut, Bloomington has a wide variety of food and drink options for families — many of which are located along Kirkwood Avenue and Fourth Street. The surrounding area also has many different entertainment options for families as well. Pop down to Lake Monroe and have a beach day — lay out on the shore and catch some sun or take a dip in the water. Stop by the Starlite DriveIn and experience the novelty of a traditional drive-in theater. This venue puts on both newly released movies and hosts special screenings of classic films.

Feeling more adventurous? Go indoor rock climbing at Hoosier Heights. This venue offers climbing experience for all skill levels as well as free climbing, various classes and clinics for new climbers. Or maybe a more laid-back night sounds better to you – the Indiana Memorial Union has bowling and billiards as well as pinball, electronic darts and table tennis. You don’t have to be an IU student to enjoy these fun options.

This is not an exhaustive list — there are so many fun ways to spend family weekend with your student. Let them show you where their favorite local restaurant is or where they like to spend time outside of school.

Additional details regarding activities and schedules will be released later this summer, according to IU’s Division of Student Affairs. Families can register for any of the events starting July 15.

ILLUSTRATION BY LAWREN ELDERKIN

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IDS FILE PHOTO BY GABBY FITZGERALD 1. Empty picnic tables are seen Sept. 7, 2021, outside of Nick’s English Hut.

IDS FILE PHOTO BY KAYLEEN COHEN 2. Neal Sipahimalani completes his lead-climbing route during the finals round of the first annual Moves for Muir competition in 2011, at Hoosier Heights climbing gym.

IDS FILE PHOTO BY NATALIE GABOR 3. The sun rises March 30, 2021, on Monroe Lake.

IDS FILE PHOTO BY ALEX DERYN 4. Movie times decorate a board May 22, 2020, at the Starlite DriveIn Theater.