JORDYN HOLKA
Reverb Editor
Moving out and escaping the watchful eye of parents has become an American rite of passage for college students. But just as soon as we embrace the true amazingness of freedom, those feelings of longing for home, mom’s cooking and one’s childhood bed that were formerly unbeknownst to our conscious minds have a way of creeping in.
Never fear, though, as this upcoming weekend is Fredonia’s Family Weekend, when Fredonia brings “home” right here to students on campus. Family weekend runs from Friday, Oct. 24, through Sunday, Oct. 26.
The fun begins Friday night with a show by hypnotist Tom DeLuca, a four-time National College Entertainer of the Year. This comedic and dramatic show will begin at 8 p.m. in Rosch Recital Hall and is suitable for family members of all ages. Tickets can be purchased through the Fredonia Ticket Office at $8 for students and $12 for general admission.
If you’re interested in a more fall-festive activity, look no further than Terror in the Trees, a haunted attraction in the Ring Road forest presented by Interactive Theatre Society. This event is not for the faint of heart. Daredevils can take the 15- to 20-minute walk through the haunted forest Friday or Saturday night from 8 p.m. to midnight. Tickets are $4 for students in advance, at the ticket office, and $5 for everyone at the door.
The Theatre and Dance Department’s production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” will continue to play this weekend, with performances Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. All performances are in Marvel Theatre, and tickets can be purchased through the ticket office or at the door.
For those students out there with little siblings coming up this weekend, be sure to tell them to bring their Halloween costumes! Safe Halloween is Saturday morning, beginning at 9 a.m. in Mason Hall. This is a great opportunity for the little ones to break out their costumes early and collect some extra candy in preparation for the big day at the end of the month.
From 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, Cracker Jack Farms, from Bemus Point, NY, will be offering free tours through campus on an authentic stagecoach.
If your family is less interested in going back in time and more interested in seeing into the future, Fredonia’s got you covered. From 5 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, Spectrum will be sponsoring a psychic fair in the Williams Center Multipurpose Room. Readings are ten minutes and are $2 for students and $5 for general admission. Tickets for this event will go on sale in the ticket office at 4 p.m. on Saturday and are limited.
For athletic families, public ice skating will be offered at the Steele Hall Ice Arena from 7:30 to 9 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday, and open swim in the Steele Hall Natatorium will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. on Saturday and 2 to 8 p.m. on Sunday.
After all of that skating and swimming, you and your family may be a tad hungry. WHOA Halloween Late Night Breakfast will take place Saturday night from 9 p.m. until midnight in Cranston Marche. Bring your family and an appetite to this all-you-can-eat event featuring breakfast foods, prizes and giveaways, including a prize for the best Halloween costume. Students can use points or a meal to enter, and family members can pay with cash or card.
There will be two musical performances taking place Saturday evening, beginning with the Grand Afternoon of Singing at 5 p.m. in Diers Recital Hall, followed by a Fredonia Wind Ensemble concert in King Concert Hall at 8 p.m.
Sunday fun will begin in the morning with a powder puff football game from 11 a.m. until noon at the practice turf field as a fundraiser for Relay for Life, which is coming up in the spring semester. One may sign up as an individual for $2 or as a team for $25 in the Williams Center room S220.
Later on in the day, the Western New York Chamber Orchestra will perform at 4 p.m. in King Concert Hall. Tickets can be purchased through the ticket office.
Throughout the weekend, Fredonia women’s soccer, women’s volleyball, men’s hockey and men’s/women’s swimming will be competing in games and meets on campus. Visit www.fredoniabluedevils.com for a complete listing of all games.
For more information on everything having to do with Family Weekend, visit http://www.fredonia.edu/campuslife/familyweekend.asp.