Celebrate UK Family Weekend Like a True Wildcat

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 7, 2016) — There are members of the Wildcat family all over the country and beyond, and this weekend many of them are coming to campus to celebrate Family Weekend, Oct. 7-9.

“The Family Weekend schedule allows us to highlight the best of campus and Lexington, and a beautiful fall weekend is the perfect time to visit. Some events are on campus and others take families out into the community. We hope families will pick and choose events based on their interests and needs. We’re confident everyone will find something that interests them,” said Nancy Stephens, associate director of New Student and Family Programs and coordinator of the Parent and Family Association.

The star of the weekend’s on-campus schedule is, of course, the UK vs. Vanderbilt University football game with kick-off at 4 p.m., Oct. 8, at Commonwealth Stadium. The biggest event of Family Weekend is at 1:30 p.m. Saturday when the thousands who have already purchased tickets can attend the sold-out Family Weekend Tent Party on Johnson Center Fields at the corner of Cooper Drive and University Drive.

“The Tent Party definitely has the biggest attendance of all our events, but other events have their own unique charms,” Stephens said.

From 5-7 p.m., Oct. 7, for example, families can stop at Family Weekend Check-in at William T. Young Library to take a family portrait in a photo booth and peruse the Campus Resource Fair. They’ll enjoy free food and entertainment as well. This event is co-hosted by the UK Alumni Association and is a joint celebration of Family Weekend as well as UK Homecoming.

If a family has traveled from out of state, they can begin exploring the city of Lexington on Saturday morning with Breakfast with the Works at Keeneland Race Course on Versailles Road near the airport. While world-famous thoroughbreds do their morning workouts, visitors can enjoy a 7 a.m. breakfast in the Equestrian Dining Room and meet other UK families from out of state.

“There is a lot of interest among out-of-state families in meeting other members of the Big Blue Nation who live beyond Kentucky. We want to help connect them with one another and showcase the beauty of Keeneland at the same time,” said Nicki Jenkins, assistant director of New Student and Family Programs.

On Sunday at 10 a.m., don’t forget DNT 101: A Taste of Kentucky Doughnut Trail, an event that seems to grow in popularity every year and is sold out again this year. It’s a taste testing of the best sugary goodness Lexington’s finest bakeries have to offer.

Last year, organizers were overwhelmed by the generosity of the Big Blue Family at one of the newer events, the Big Blue Pantry Food Drive. A relatively new initiative, the Big Blue Pantry serves UK students experiencing food insecurity by distributing non-perishable food items.

“For the last couple of years, we asked families to consider donating a single can of food or a small monetary donation. Instead of one can, people will bring in grocery bags full of food for the less fortunate of our community,” Stephens said. “That expression of concern is the best definition I can think of when someone asks me, ‘What is the Big Blue Family?’”

For a detailed description of all Family Weekend events and activities, visit www.uky.edu/familyweekend.  

UK is the University for Kentucky. At UK, we are educating more students, treating more patients with complex illnesses and conducting more research and service than at any time in our 150-year history. To read more about the UK story and how you can support continued investment in your university and the Commonwealth, go to: uky.edu/uk4ky. #uk4ky #seeblue

MEDIA CONTACT: Blair Hoover, 859-257-6398, blair.hoover@uky.edu