Family Weekend follows Olympic theme

Families of students, faculty and staff members are invited to Family Weekend, which runs October 5-7. The weekend, sponsored by Student Life, will include a variety of Olympic-themed activities this year, including an event featuring Olympic rower and alumna Sarah Zelenka and Chef Paul Mixa, who cooked for Olympians in London.

Most events are free; some require a paid ticket for admission.

Highlights include:

Friday, October 5:

• Dueling Pianos Lounge, Grand River Room, Kirkhof Center, 7:30-10:30 p.m.: Test the knowledge and skill of the pianists while singing along with them. The event is free, refreshments will be provided and an Olympic trivia game will be featured.

Saturday, October 6:

• Renaissance Faire, Kirkhof Center lawn, 10 a.m. until dusk: The festival will be full of color, costumes and activities such as jousting, bagpipes, crafts and face painting.

• Olympic Games and World Market, Kirkhof Center, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.: The event will feature face painting, prizes, cookie decorating and Olympic-themed games.

• Learn to row with the Grand Valley crew, Grand River Boathouse, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.: Ride in a Grand Valley rowing boat with rowing team members. A barbeque will be served after; event is free.

• Taste of the Olympics, Grand River Room, Kirkhof Center, 4-6 p.m.: Meet Olympic rower and alumna Sarah Zelenka and taste food by Chef Paul Mixa, a Grand Valley chef who was selected to work at the Summer Olympics in London. Tickets are required. Cost is $10.

Sunday, October 2:

• Brunch and Mond-Centric Fashion Show, Grand River Room, Kirkhof Center, 10 a.m.-noon: International students will showcase fashion from around the world. Tickets are required. Cost is $8.

Participants are invited to share where they are from and interact with others on Twitter by using the hashtag #GVFamily12. A live Twitter feed will be displayed in the Kirkhof Center throughout the weekend.

For a complete list of events or to purchase tickets, visit www.gvsu.edu/familyweekend. For questions, email [email protected].