Over 2,000 individuals to attend Family and Friends Weekend at the University of Maine
ORONO — Family and Friends Weekend is an annual celebration that brings thousands of family members to the University of Maine campus. For the first time in eight years, this annual event will be taking place during the same weekend as Homecoming, on Oct. 13-15.
Families of all sizes, dynamics, and class years are welcome. Students and their families, faculty and staff, alumni and members of the extended Black Bear community are invited to a variety of events that honor UMaine’s past and present. Attendees will also have the opportunity to see and experience the latest research, technology and facilities available at UMaine.
Over 2,000 individuals have already registered for Family and Friends Weekend. A full list of activities associated with this event can be found on the university’s Family and Friends Weekend website.
Here are a few of the highlights:
Friday, Oct. 13:
● 3-6 p.m.: Maine Bound Zipline. This activity will take place on the Challenge Course, next to New Balance Student Recreation Center.
● 6-7 p.m.: Paint and Sip. This paid add-on event is occurring at the North Pod on the second floor of the Memorial Union.
● 6:30-7:45 p.m.: Bonfire on the Mall. The UMaine community will light up the night and show their Black Bear spirit.
● 8-10 p.m.: Motor Booty Affair in Concert. This musical performance will take place outdoors, near the Innovative Media Research and Commercialization (IMRC) Center. The event is free for all registered guests and students. The cost is $5 at the door for all others.
Saturday, Oct. 14:
● 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.: Family and Friends Street Fair on the Mall. Student groups, local businesses, national businesses and the Orono/Old Town community all gather on the university Mall for this annual street fair. In addition to student activities, attendees can shop at booths from local small businesses, as they enjoy cuisine from area food trucks. Live music from student performers is being made possible by the campus radio station, WMEB-FM 91.9.
● 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Partial Solar Eclipse. On Saturday, a solar eclipse will cross the United States. In Maine, we will only see between 20-25 percent of the sun as it is obscured by the Moon. The eclipse will start at 12:26 p.m. and end at 2:27 p.m. Visitors are invited to see the partial eclipse from our Clark Telescope starting at 11:30 a.m. The planetarium has solar eclipse glasses available in its gift shop for $2 each, which will provide a safe way to observe the sun during an eclipse.
● 8 -10 p.m.: Hypnotist Eric Mina will be performing in the Collins Center for the Arts. This hypnotic exhibition is free for registered guests and students. The cost is $5 at the door for all others.
The University of Maine, founded in Orono in 1865, is the state’s land grant, sea grant and space grant university, with a regional campus at the University of Maine at Machias. UMaine is located on Marsh Island in the homeland of the Penobscot Nation. UMaine Machias is located in the homeland of the Passamaquoddy Nation. As Maine’s flagship public university, UMaine has a statewide mission of teaching, research and economic development, and community service. UMaine is the state’s public research university and a Carnegie R1 top-tier research institution. It attracts students from all 50 states and 86 countries. UMaine currently enrolls 11,571 undergraduate and graduate students, and UMaine Machias enrolls 763 undergraduates. Our students have opportunities to participate in groundbreaking research with world-class scholars. UMaine offers 77 bachelor’s degrees and six undergraduate certificates, as well as more than 100 degree programs through which students can earn doctoral or master’s degrees, professional master’s degrees, and graduate certificates. UMaine Machias offers 18 associate and bachelor’s degrees, and 14 undergraduate certificates. The university promotes environmental stewardship, with substantial efforts campuswide to conserve energy, recycle and adhere to green building standards in new construction. For more information about UMaine and UMaine Machias, visit umaine.edu and machias.edu.