A&M-Victoria gears up for annual Family Weekend
Texas A&M University-Victoria is set to welcome students and their families for its annual Family Weekend that brings together the campus community for a celebration of school spirit, family and local partnerships.
Family Weekend will be held Oct. 3-4 and will be packed with a schedule of activities, entertainment and opportunities for families to experience campus life, said Freddie Cantu, director of Student Involvement.
“It’s a tradition that we’ve had for a while,” Cantu said. “It’s a great chance for students to invite their family and anyone else who wants to join the campus to enjoy all the events and activities that we have. It’s a great way for them to relish in their school spirit and also support the athletes.”
The festivities will kick off on Friday, Oct. 3., with check-in from noon to 5 p.m. in the lobby of University Commons, 3006 N. Ben Wilson St.
A special merchandise showcase will follow check-in from 2 to 4 p.m. inside the JagStation Bookstore inside University Commons. Families are encouraged to stop by and check out the latest A&M-Victoria swag, with both new and classic items available, Cantu said.
That Friday evening will feature a complimentary family dinner from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the Jaguar Dining Hall, where registered attendees will receive meal tickets for a buffet-styled meal.
The official start to the weekend will be the Sprit Rally, which will be held from 7 to 7:30 p.m., where interim president Jim Nelson will be in attendance to welcome families. The cheer team will also perform along with jaX the Jaguar, who will be there to entertain the crowd with a skit.
Students and their families are encouraged that night to attend Tejas Fest held from 8 to 11:30 p.m. at DeLeon Plaza in downtown Victoria. Local vendors will be present at the event, along with food truck options and live performances by Loca Pasion and Michael Salgado.
Transportation will be available with free campus shuttles from 8 to 11:30 p.m. running from Jaguar Hall and Smith Hall to downtown Victoria for the festival to ensure families can enjoy the festivities without worrying about parking, Cantu said.
On the morning of Saturday, Oct. 4, students and their families are invited to the Walk 2 End Alzheimer’s event from 8 to 10 a.m. in the front entrance of University Center, 3007 N. Ben Wilson St. Registration for the event begins at 8 a.m., and the ceremony will commence shortly afterward at 9 a.m. Registration and free information on the event can be found at https://act.alz.org/site/TR?fr_id=18938&pg=entry.
Tejas Fest will continue on Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon, and will feature vendor markets, chihuahua races and trick roper Kevin Fitzpatrick. Attendees are also encouraged to attend the festival in the evening from 4 to 11:30 p.m., which will feature performances by Ballet Folklorico, The Crossroads Troubadours, The Texas Continentals, Chad Cooke Band, Cory Morrow and Pecos & the Rooftops.
The centerpiece of the weekend is Family Fest, a carnival-style event open to students and their families, alumni, faculty and staff from noon to 2 p.m. at University Commons. Free food, snacks, drinks and T-shirts will be available, with activities both indoors and outdoors.
“There will be an inflatable, a rock wall, a dunk tank, yard games, a face painter, balloon art, henna tattoos and more,” Cantu said. “It’s the biggest event of the weekend.”
After Family Fest, the university will host a Students vs. Parents Dodgeball game from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Health & Wellness Center.
Registration is encouraged for those wishing to receive free T-shirts and meal tickets, Cantu said. Please visit www.tamuv.edu/family-weekend to register for Family Weekend. The deadline to register is midnight on Tuesday, Sept. 30.
Texas A&M University-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 50 academic programs in the colleges of Business, Education & Health Professions, Liberal Arts & Social Sciences, and Natural & Applied Science. A&M-Victoria provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as online classes that students can take from anywhere. The university supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.