This past weekend campus was filled with families visiting students for St. Thomas’ family weekend. The Dean of Students office and the Parent Network planned various events for three days to keep students and their families entertained.

The activities kicked off on Friday when parents were invited to sit in on one of their son or daughter’s classes. On Friday night, there was also a lecture by National Public Radio’s Michele Norris and a view of the night skies event in the 3M auditorium.

On Saturday morning the Tommie’s Family Weekend Fun Run/Walk took place in the morning on the track. Later students and parents were invited to the Annual Parent Network Brat and Chili Fest on the quad.

The Parent Network offered a shuttle to take football fans to the game at Augsburg on Saturday. Sophomore Hannah Steward and her family, who came to visit from Wisconsin, attended both the cookout and the football game.

“I’m having a great day with my family,” Steward said. “I just wish the football game would have been at home like it was for last year’s family weekend instead of away.”

Families could attend women’s soccer game against St. Olaf on south campus and a Paws for Learning event on the John P. Monahan Plaza, which featured dogs to play with. In the evening there was a performance put on by PULSE. Tonic Sol-Fa, who also played at last year’s Family Weekend, performed at the O’Shaughnessy Educational Center auditorium.

Associate Dean of Students Tori Svoboda said the most popular sessions for family weekend were the brat and chili fest and the Tonic Sol-Fa concert attracted between 200-600 participants.

“Some of the events have limited attendance, so my perspective is that success for us is offering a variety of activities so there is something for everyone,” Svoboda said. “Some events are smaller, but they mean a lot to those families who participate.”

Freshman Elizabeth Runde and her parents attended the cookout on the quad, but said they didn’t have plans to attend any other events.

“My brother also goes here, so it was more about my parents coming to visit me rather than going to a bunch of different events on campus,” Runde said.

The weekend wrapped-up with a brunch held in the student dining room, Mass and an alumni baseball game.

Jessica Barton can be reached at bart2049@stthomas.edu