Bucknell to Host Family Weekend, Partner in International Festival

More than 3,200 family members and current students have registered to participate in Bucknell University's annual Family Weekend, Friday, Sept. 20 through Sunday, Sept. 22, which this year coincides with the inaugural Community International Festival, co-sponsored by Bucknell and the Lewisburg Downtown Partnership. The weekend will now combine the campus family traditions with a celebration of cultural diversity, offering students, families and the Lewisburg community a unique opportunity to come together.

"Family Weekend provides families with the chance to experience campus life and participate in a wide range of events alongside their student family members," says Tara Michaels, assistant director, alumni & parent large campus programs. "This year, the weekend will be even more dynamic with the introduction of the Community International Festival, which will showcase the rich cultural heritage of Bucknell’s international student body and the broader Lewisburg region."

Friday Highlights
The weekend kicks off Friday and will include a 4 p.m. program for families of Freeman College of Management students featuring the college's new dean, Michelle Roehm, Kenneth W. Freeman Professor of Management, who will engage in conversation with James Henry P'27, senior managing director at Bank Street Group.

University theatre students will perform their first-year showcase, One Christmas Eve at Evergreen Mall, Friday at 7:30 p.m. in Tustin Hall Studio Theatre. Directed by Tessa Brizhik '26, the comedy presents a series of short plays that follows eight intertwined stories in a Midwestern mall on the last day of shopping before the holiday. Tickets may be purchased through the Bucknell box office.

Athletically, the Bison field hockey team will host Boston University at 4 p.m., while the women's volleyball team will play Holy Cross in Davis Gym starting at 7 p.m. in Patriot League contests.

Inaugural International Festival Saturday

Saturday activities will include the inaugural Community International Festival from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Vedder Hall and Hufnagle Park. The festival will feature live performances, international food vendors, and a variety of cultural displays, offering a global experience right in downtown Lewisburg.

A highlight of the festival will be the parade of flags, starting at 11:30 a.m., showcasing the national flags of Bucknell's international students. Eric Ian Farmer and Friends, a local band, will perform at 12:30 p.m. in Hufnagle Park.

Food trucks offering international cuisines will be available throughout the festival, and vendors will sell handcrafted goods from around the world. Bucknell students will receive tickets for complimentary food from the trucks, with additional tickets available for purchase.

The festival is supported by community partners, including the Degenstein Foundation, Wellspan Evangelical Community Hospital, Bucknell's Office of the Provost, and the Office of Equity and Inclusive Excellence.

Student members of the Latine Alliance for Community and Opportunity for Students Club will also host Feria Latina, an outdoor Latine-style street fair, starting at 6 p.m. in MacDonald Commons.

University Saturday Highlights
The Bucknell improv group We Brake for Nobody will perform Saturday at 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. in the Elaine Langone Center’s Forum (Room 272). Christy’s A Cappella Concert will also take place at 1 p.m. in the Weis Center for the Performing Arts, featuring performances by Bucknell's student a cappella groups. The first-year theatre showcase will have two more performances Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. in Tustin Hall Studio Theatre. Tickets for all three shows may be purchased through the Bucknell box office.

Among Saturday sporting events, the defending Patriot League-champion Bison women's soccer team will host league rival Colgate in a 1 p.m. game, while the men's soccer team will host Holy Cross, and the women's volleyball team will welcome Army-West Point in 4 p.m. league contests.

Families can also join in the Pregame Spirit Trail starting at 4:30 p.m. on Dent Drive around Freas Hall Lawn where they can collect Bucknell-themed items before heading to the Family Weekend football game vs. Marist at 6 p.m. in Christy Mathewson-Memorial Stadium. There will be a celebratory fireworks display following the football game. Tickets for the game may also be purchased through the Bucknell box office.

Academic activities Saturday will also give families the chance to meet the inaugural directors of the University's newest centers. Erin Jablonski, director of the Perricelli-Gegnas Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation; and Kelly McConville, director of the Dominguez Center for Data Science, will participate in a 1 p.m. talk at Taylor Hall.

Sunday Highlights
Sunday will find the Bison field hockey team hosting Penn State at 1 p.m.

And the Bucknell Jazz Band and Symphonic Band will also play a free combined concert showcasing the musical talents of students starting at 2 p.m. in the Weis Center.

The complete Family Weekend schedule may be found here.