STUDENT AFFAIRS

10:00 am – 6:00 pm – Family Weekend Hospitality Room (101 Wildcat Room, Norris University Center)

• Families can stop by to connect with Family Engagement staff, pick up an “at a glance” schedule, and enjoy some complimentary coffee, tea and water.

11:00 am – 12:00 pm – Faculty Lecture Series: Round 1

• Northwestern’s world-class faculty showcase their teaching expertise during various lectures for families. Lecture descriptions will be available by late September.

12:00 pm – 8:00 pm - Block Museum of Art (40 Arts Circle Drive)

• Visit Northwestern’s campus art museum! The Block is a dynamic, imaginative, and innovative teaching and learning resource for Northwestern and its surrounding communities. Exhibitions on view include Rosalie Favell: Indigenous Artists Facing the Camera, For One and All: Prints from The Block’s, and The Block Collects 2023 which will highlight new works of art in the collection including the 2022-2023 Student Acquisition. The Block is always free and open to all. For more information, please visit www.blockmuseum.northwestern.edu.

1:30 pm – 2:30 pm – Faculty Lecture Series: Round 2

• Northwestern’s world-class faculty showcase their teaching expertise during various lectures for families. Lecture descriptions will be available by late September.

Afternoon with the Undergraduate Schools

Bienen School of Music

3:00 pm – 4:00 pm (RCMA Jean Gimble Lane Reception Room)

• Members of the Bienen administration will be on hand to meet and greet parents and families. Families can also observe rehearsals at various times throughout the afternoon. Rehearsal times and locations will be listed by late September.

McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science

3:00 pm – 4:00 pm (205 Louis Room, Norris University Center)

• McCormick family members are invited to this presentation and Q&A with Dr. Burghardt, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Engineering, and current engineering students.

Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications

3:00 pm – 4:30 pm (McCormick Foundation Center Forum)

• A brief showcase of innovative student work and a panel featuring Medill leadership.

School of Communication

3:00 pm – 4:00 pm (Wirtz Center for Performing Arts, Room 201, 1949 Campus Drive)

• Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs and Advising Lori Barcliff Baptista will speak briefly, and academic advisors will mingle with guests.

School of Education and Social Policy (SESP)

3:00 pm - 4:00 pm (Annenberg Hall, Room 123)

• An open house and conversation with SESP faculty and advising team will take place in the SESP Student Affairs Office on the first floor of Annenberg Hall. Light refreshments will be served.

Weinberg School of Arts and Sciences

3:00 pm – 4:00 pm (Cahn Auditorium)

• Presentation and panel discussion on resources and opportunities for Weinberg students.

4:00 pm – 4:30 pm  – Mindfulness Meditation Drop-In (Multi-Belief Space, Parkes Hall, Room 204, 1870 Sheridan Road)

5:00 pm – 5:45 pm – Conversation with President Schill (Louis Room, Norris)

• Join the President of Northwestern University to learn more about his leadership style and current events on campus.

5:30 pm – 6:00 pm – Northwestern Hillel Family Reception (629 Foster St.) 

• Join us at Northwestern's center for Jewish life before Shabbat services and dinner.

• Join us for student-led Reform and Conservative services to welcome in Shabbat.

7:00 pm – 8:00 pm  – Northwestern Hillel Shabbat Dinner (629 Foster St.) 

7:00 pm - Imagine U: Frida Libre (Josephine Louis Theater, 20 Arts Circle Drive)

• Inspired by the childhood of legendary Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, Frida Libre is an uplifting story that explores the meaning of friendship, bravery, and transformation. Alex may seem like a quiet, shy boy, but he secretly holds big ideas inside his head. He wants to be a luchador (wrestler) and defeat bad guys in the ring. His life changes when he meets brave and colorful Frida, an unusual girl who dreams of being a doctor so she can help people. Forced to do a science project on butterflies and metamorphosis, the pair discovers how true friendship can help you overcome fear and transform your dreams into reality. Click Here to Purchase Tickets

7:30 pm - Symphonic Band (Pick-Staiger Concert Hall)

• Shawn Vondran, Conductor  - A varied program of music for combined woodwinds, brass, and percussion. Tickets are $6 for guests & $4 for students. Click Here to Purchase Tickets

7:30 pm - In the Beginning There was House (This performance takes place at Northwestern’s Chicago campus - Wirtz Theater, Room 203, Virginia Wadsworth Wirtz Center for Performing and Media Arts, Chicago Campus - Abbott Hall, 710 N. Lake Shore Drive)

• Inspired by the life and work of Chicago house music legend Frankie Knuckles, the genre-fusing duo behind UNIVERSES have partnered to present a reading ofIn the Beginning There was House, a new work originally commissioned by the Goodman Theatre.  UNIVERSES was founded by Steven Sapp and Mildred Ruiz-Sapp to create moving, challenging, and entertaining works for the stage. Sapp and Ruiz-Sapp will be in residence throughout the 2023-24 Northwestern University academic year as part of the newly established Astere E. Claeyssens Artist-in-Residence program. In addition to teaching and mentoring students, they will be developing In the Beginning There was House with Obie-Award winning director Chay Yew. Click Here to Purchase Tickets

8:30 pm – 10:30 pm - The Second City at Northwestern (Cahn Auditorium)

Please note, as of 8/29/23, general admission tickets are SOLD OUT. 

Consider checking out a show at Second City's Comedy Club in Chicago. 

• The Second City is a world-renowned improv and sketch comedy theatre and training center, operating in Chicago and Toronto for over 60 years, and coming soon to Brooklyn! Their Alumni include folks like Gilda Radner, Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, Bill Murray, Keegan-Michael Key, Amber Ruffin and Northwestern alumnus Stephen Colbert... and the list goes on! The show will feature custom scenes inspired by life at Northwestern, as well as improv comedy and some Second City classics. The show is rated PG-13.
  Tickets are required and cost $15 each. Tickets must be purchased in advance and space is limited. Please go to the Family Weekend registration form to purchase tickets. Your Northwestern student must also have a paid ticket if they wish to attend. 

 9:00 pm – 11:00 pm - Dearborn Observatory (2131 Tech Drive)

• Families are invited to drop in and tour the Observatory free of charge.  Weather permitting, they will be able to view the night sky with our historic Dearborn Telescope.

9:30 am – 10:15 am – Campus Resource Sessions Round 1 (Norris University Center)

 Career Services for Northwestern Students 

• Northwestern Career Advancement (NCA) will offer an overview of the career resources available to your student including career counseling and advising services, internships and summer experiences, and the post-graduation success of our students.  Come learn about how Northwestern prepares its students for life after graduation.

Undergraduate Research Information Session 

• The Director of the Office of Undergraduate Research will explain how students can get involved in research. At Northwestern, research occurs in all fields and schools from the [expected] labs to the creative arts and journalism.  Come learn the process of getting into a lab and/or developing your own project. We have extensive resources and funding for both.

Office of Fellowships Session

• The Office of Fellowships helps students find and apply for external sources of funding to do many different things, including research, internships, language study, and tuition support, with international options available for all opportunities.

10:00 am – 5:00 pm  – Alice Millar Chapel Open for Visits and Tours (Alice Millar Chapel, 1870 Sheridan Road)

• Alice Millar Chapel is open for quiet reflection, visits, and student led tours.

10:30 am – 11:15 am – Campus Resource Sessions Round 2 (Norris University Center)

Career Services for Northwestern Students 

• Northwestern Career Advancement (NCA) will offer an overview of the career resources available to your student including career counseling and advising services, internships and summer experiences, and the post-graduation success of our students.  Come learn about how Northwestern prepares its students for life after graduation.

Undergraduate Research Information Session 

• The Director of the Office of Undergraduate Research will explain how students can get involved in research.  At Northwestern, research occurs in all fields and schools from the [expected] labs to the creative arts and journalism.  Come learn the process of getting into a lab and/or developing your own project.  We have extensive resources and funding for both.

Office of Fellowships Session 

• The Office of Fellowships helps students find and apply for external sources of funding to do many different things, including research, internships, language study, and tuition support, with international options available for all opportunities.

11:30 am – 12:30 pm – Fraternity & Sorority Life Panel Presentation (Norris University Center)

• Families are invited to a presentation provided by the Fraternity & Sorority Life staff that will overview the values of our community, benefits of membership, and pathways to joining across our four councils: the Interfraternity Council (IFC), the Multicultural Greek Council (MGC), the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), and the Panhellenic Association (PHA). Families will also have a chance to ask questions and engage with a panel of upper-class student leaders within the FSL community about their experiences.

12:00 pm – 5:00 pm - Open House Celebration: Indigenous Artists Facing the Camera at the Block Museum of Art (40 Arts Circle Drive)

• Spend a festive day at the Block Museum with the Mitchell Museum of the American Indian in celebration of Rosalie Favell: Indigenous Artists Facing the Camera. Enjoy open galleries, food by Fox Way Catering, music and storytelling by portrait sitter Mark Jourdan, and a gallery talk with portrait sitter Kim Vigue, Executive Director of the Mitchell Museum of the American Indian, on the history and future of the Mitchell Museum. Co-presented with the Mitchell Museum of the American Indian. The Block is always free and open to all. Full program details available online: https://www.blockmuseum.northwestern.edu/events/2023/open-house-celebration-indigenous-artists-facing-the-camera.html

Campus Tours led by Family Ambassadors (Leave from The Rock, near Harris Hall)

• Family Ambassadors will lead 1.5-hour, campus-walking tours throughout the day. Times will be available soon.

1:00 pm – 2:00 pm – Exploring Study Abroad (McCormick Auditorium, Norris University Center)

• Northwestern students participate in study abroad programs around the world. The Global Learning Office will provide insight into the process and possibilities of studying abroad.

2:00 pm - Imagine U: Frida Libre (Josephine Louis Theater, 20 Arts Circle Drive)

• Inspired by the childhood of legendary Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, Frida Libre is an uplifting story that explores the meaning of friendship, bravery, and transformation. Alex may seem like a quiet, shy boy, but he secretly holds big ideas inside his head. He wants to be a luchador (wrestler) and defeat bad guys in the ring. His life changes when he meets brave and colorful Frida, an unusual girl who dreams of being a doctor so she can help people. Forced to do a science project on butterflies and metamorphosis, the pair discovers how true friendship can help you overcome fear and transform your dreams into reality. Click Here to Purchase Tickets

3:00 pm – 5:00 pm – Acapalooza—hosted by NUDM (Cahn Auditorium)

• Join Northwestern University Dance Marathon (NUDM) and Family Engagement for an afternoon of a cappella music and fun! Hear from Northwestern’s incredible a cappella groups and learn about the NUDM 2024 rotating beneficiary, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana, and long-term beneficiary, the Evanston Community Foundation. Tickets are required and cost $8 each. Tickets must be purchased in advance and space is limited. Please go to the Family Weekend registration form to purchase tickets. Your Northwestern student must also have a paid ticket if they wish to attend. 

5:45 pm – 9:00 pm – VIP Family Dinner @ Northwestern Volleyball vs. Michigan (Welsh-Ryan Arena)

Please note, as of 9/18/23, that VIP Family Dinner @ Northwestern Volleyball vs. Michigan tickets are SOLD OUT. General admission $7 tickets are still available.

• Mingle with other Northwestern families over dinner in the Wilson Club, the most exclusive place to catch a Northwestern Volleyball match. Join us for a "tailgate style" dinner and drinks (cash bar) and hear from the Volleyball coaching staff and student athletes before they take the court.

  Tickets are required for the Wilson Club fan experience and cost $20 per person which includes a buffet dinner, entrance to the volleyball match and access to a cash bar (credit cards only). Gluten free, vegetarian and vegan food options will be available. Tickets are limited, and your Northwestern student must also have a paid ticket if they wish to enter the Wilson Club. 

  VIP Family Dinner attendees are encouraged to arrive between 5:45 pm - 6:00 pm to avoid the game-day crowds and use the Wilson Club entrance on the southwest side of Welsh-Ryan Arena.

  Please note: if you are not interested in the VIP Wilson Club experience, you can also purchase a general admission ticket for the match at a cost of $7 per ticket. If you choose this option, you will NOT need to purchase a ticket for your student, as all Northwestern students can use their student ID to watch the match for free. 

  Regardless of which ticket option you choose, ALL Family Weekend ticket holders will receive a commemorative NU Volleyball jersey koozie upon arrival. 

  Please go to the Family Weekend registration page to purchase tickets. If you have questions about the match or tickets, please email the Athletic Ticket Office at cat-tix@northwestern.edu or call 888-GO-PURPLE (467-8775)

  We look forward to welcoming all of our Northwestern students and their families to Welsh-Ryan Arena for what promises to be an entertaining and memorable night!

7:00 pm – 8:15 pm   Freshman Cabaret (Lutkin Hall)

• The 81st Annual Dolphin Show presents our annual Freshmen Cabaret. The Dolphin Show is the largest student-produced musical in the country and we are excited to present a cabaret this Family Weekend entirely produced, directed, music directed, stage managed, and performed by the freshmen class. This January the Dolphin Show presents Kinky Boots which teaches us the value of self-expression, love, and respect. The Dolphin Show Freshman Cabaret invites audiences to celebrate the talent, identity, and passion of the Northwestern freshman class! No tickets or reservations are required- seats are first-come-first-served. We hope you can join us for this free event!

7:30 pm - Raphaella Smits, guitar - Part of the Segovia Classical Guitar Series (Galvin Recital Hall)

•  Raphaella Smits plays worldwide on eight-string guitars and historical instruments. Recognized as “an uncommonly musical guitarist” (New York Times), her solo recitals as well as her performances with distinguished colleagues have met with enthusiastic audiences and press. Smits has made 21 recordings and is internationally praised as an inspiring teacher for both guitar and chamber music, serving on the juries of many international music competitions. In 1986, Smits was the first woman to win first prize in the Certamen Internacional de Guitarra Francisco Tárrega, the famous international guitar competition in Benicàssim, Spain, earning praise from chairmen Andrés Segovia and Narciso Yepes. She holds a chair at the Lemmens Institute in Belgium and regularly gives master classes across Europe, the Americas, and Japan. Tickets are $30 for guests & $10 for students. Click Here to Purchase Tickets

7:30 pm - Northwestern University Symphony Orchestra (Pick-Staiger Concert Hall)

• The Northwestern University Symphony Orchestra's first performance of the academic year opens with Liza Sobel Crane's (E)Merging Dances, premiered at Carnegie Hall in 2022. The program continues with the 1947 version of Igor Stravinsky's Petrushka—the colorful, Russian folk music-inspired ballet detailing the loves and jealousies of three puppets. Concluding the program is Beethoven's Symphony No. 7 in A Major, a work so well received at its premiere that the audience demanded an immediate encore of its Allegretto movement. Tickets are $8 for guests & $5 for students. Click Here to Purchase Tickets

7:30 pm - In the Beginning There was House (This performance takes place at Northwestern’s Chicago campus - Wirtz Theater, Room 203, Virginia Wadsworth Wirtz Center for Performing and Media Arts, Chicago Campus - Abbott Hall, 710 N. Lake Shore Drive)

• Inspired by the life and work of Chicago house music legend Frankie Knuckles, the genre-fusing duo behind UNIVERSES have partnered to present a reading ofIn the Beginning There was House, a new work originally commissioned by the Goodman Theatre.  UNIVERSES was founded by Steven Sapp and Mildred Ruiz-Sapp to create moving, challenging, and entertaining works for the stage. Sapp and Ruiz-Sapp will be in residence throughout the 2023-24 Northwestern University academic year as part of the newly established Astere E. Claeyssens Artist-in-Residence program. In addition to teaching and mentoring students, they will be developing In the Beginning There was House with Obie-Award winning director Chay Yew. Click Here to Purchase Tickets

9:00 pm – 11:00 pm - Dearborn Observatory (2131 Tech Drive)

• Families are invited to drop in and tour the Observatory free of charge.  Weather permitting, they will be able to view the night sky with our historic Dearborn Telescope.

9:30 am, 11:00 am & 5 pm  – Sheil Catholic Center Sunday Mass (2110 Sheridan Road)

• All families are invited to join the Catholic campus community for Mass, followed by hospitality.

10:00 am -  The Donut 5K (Southern End of Northwestern Lakefill)

• Come join Northwestern’s Triathlon Club annual Donut 5k! The Donut 5k is a typical 5K with a twist as every donut you eat takes time off your run! It’s a fun way to combine everyone’s love of donuts with friendly competition. Registration is now open!

10:00  am – 12:00 pm – Northwestern Hillel Family Open House Bagel Brunch (629 Foster Street)

• Join us before you head home for some hospitality and bagels.

10:00 am -12:00 pm – Lutheran Campus Ministry Breakfast & Worship (2204 Orrington Avenue)

• All students and families are invited to a continental breakfast at 10:00 am and then worship at 11:00 am with Lutheran Campus Ministry.  

11:00 am – 11:45 am – Alice Millar Chapel Morning prayer blessing and mini- concert with the Alice Millar Chapel Choir (Alice Millar Chapel, 1870 Sheridan Road)

• All are welcome for this morning of music and blessing in the University Chapel with the University Chaplain and the internationally recognized Alice Millar Chapel Choir who will share a preview of their fall concert. Coffee and light refreshments will be available before and after the service.

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm  – Alice Millar Chapel Open for Visits and Tours (Alice Millar Chapel, 1870 Sheridan Road)

• Tour of Alice Millar Chapel and demonstration and tour of the 5,235 pipe Aeolian-Skinner organ.

11:00 am – 1:00 pm – Family Weekend Brunch (Louis Room, Norris)

Please note, as of 8/31/23, brunch tickets are SOLD OUT. 

Consider dining at one of the many fantastic restaurants on the North Shore! 

• Round out the weekend with a brunch and mimosa bar while you reminisce with family members about your weekend in Evanston. You can also engage with staff and Family Ambassadors who can answer any lingering questions you may have. 

  Tickets are required and cost $15 each which includes breakfast and mimosas. Gluten free, vegetarian and vegan food options will be available. Tickets must be purchased in advance and space is limited. Please go to the Family Weekend registration form to purchase tickets. Your Northwestern student must also have a paid ticket if they wish to attend. 

12:00 pm – 5:00 pm - Block Museum of Art (40 Arts Circle Drive)

• Visit Northwestern’s campus art museum! The Block is a dynamic, imaginative, and innovative teaching and learning resource for Northwestern and its surrounding communities. Exhibitions on view include Rosalie Favell: Indigenous Artists Facing the Camera, For One and All: Prints from The Block’s, and The Block Collects 2023 which will highlight new works of art in the collection including the 2022-2023 Student Acquisition. The Block is always free and open to all. For more information, please visit www.blockmuseum.northwestern.edu.

 2:00 pm - Imagine U: Frida Libre (Josephine Louis Theater, 20 Arts Circle Drive)

• Inspired by the childhood of legendary Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, Frida Libre is an uplifting story that explores the meaning of friendship, bravery, and transformation. Alex may seem like a quiet, shy boy, but he secretly holds big ideas inside his head. He wants to be a luchador (wrestler) and defeat bad guys in the ring. His life changes when he meets brave and colorful Frida, an unusual girl who dreams of being a doctor so she can help people. Forced to do a science project on butterflies and metamorphosis, the pair discovers how true friendship can help you overcome fear and transform your dreams into reality. Click Here to Purchase Tickets

Visit the Henry Crown Sports Pavilion

Engage in the Northwestern recreational student experience!  Offering six recreation facilities, three intramural sport seasons with nine sports, 38 club teams, open recreation, a vast array of fitness equipment, wellness programs and services, indoor and outdoor water activities, and tennis - NU Recreation has something for everyone!  

Learn how fitness, wellness, recreation, and sports activities can help your student deal with the stresses of academic life, enhance their overall well-being, and improve their everyday life. The Henry Crown Sport Pavilion will be open from 6:00 am - 10:00 pm on Friday, 8:00 am - 9:00 pm on Saturday, and 8:00 am - 10:00 pm on Sunday.  Northwestern parents and families will have complimentary access to Henry Crown and all Group Exercise classes throughout Family Weekend.

Group Exercise Classes

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Family Weekend FAQs

For all of your questions in planning for Family Weekend with your student, visit our Family Weekend FAQ section on our Family FAQs page.

Map

To assist you with your visit, please consult the Interactive Campus Map.