With Family Weekend and Homecoming right around the corner, this upcoming weekend is shaping up to be a busy one for Huskies around campus. For those wondering what’s up next at Storrs, consider this to be your guide for the upcoming festivities.
Family Weekend officially begins on Friday, although the opportunities for exciting events are slim. Most of the events planned for this day are open houses for various programs, including the journalism department and the Homer Babbidge Library. However, the Planetarium will be hosting shows from 3 to 6 p.m. Seating is free, but spots can be reserved on the UConn Marketplace website.
If stars and planets don’t interest you and your family, a different kind of out-of-this-world experience is happening at the Student Union Theatre. Beginning at 5 p.m., hypnotist and magician Jim Spinnato is running a free performance, although you might want to arrive early as there are no seat reservations.
Friday is also when the homecoming excitement starts, with a scavenger hunt beginning on Fairfield Way. The scavenger hunt coincides with this year’s “Picture This” theme for homecoming, requiring students to take various photos around campus to earn free merchandise or a stuffed husky.
The scavenger hunt starts at noon, but keep in mind that the prizes are first come, first served.
Saturday features much of the same in terms of open houses, but the yearly Celebrate Mansfield festival begins at 2 p.m. in Downtown Storrs. This annual event features live music, games, puppetry, food, drinks and so much more. Hot off the heels of their new EP, “TED,” New Haven-based rock band Ruby Leftstep will be playing at 5 p.m. as the opener for the blues-soul-rock act All Night Boogie Band, who take the stage at 6:30 p.m.
Outside of the Celebrate Mansfield Festival, UConn will also be hosting open ice skating at Toscano from 7 to 10 p.m., with hourly skating blocks, although it is recommended skaters show up half an hour early to the hour they wish to skate.
Starting at 8 p.m., the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts will be hosting “Invincible: A Tribute to Michael Jackson.” This show features performances of various Michael Jackson songs, fit to choreography, lights and smoke machines. As of Wednesday, tickets are running low, and any remaining tickets can be purchased on the Jorgensen website, starting at $25.
Sunday marks the true beginning of homecoming merriment with the Homecoming parade and carnival. The parade will begin at 1:30 p.m. on Hillside Road near Jorgensen and will travel through Fairfield Way, featuring various student organizations, a float of Jonathan the Husky and the UConn Marching Band.
After the parade ends, the marching band will move to Mirror Lake for a separate performance beginning around 2 p.m. At the same time, the Homecoming Carnival will begin on the Founders Green, lasting until 8 p.m. This event will feature rides, food, games, a petting zoo and more.
The activity on Storrs campus will begin to calm down with the conclusion of Family Weekend, but homecoming festivities come back in full force with the annual Lip Sync event at Jorgensen, beginning at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 2. Participating groups will show off a prepared set of routine set to music, to be scored by a panel of judges.
The lip sync is also when the winners of the banner painting competition will be announced. Student organizations that signed up to participate in homecoming activities were previously tasked with making a banner to display in the Student Union, which will be visible throughout the weekend and next week.
Friday marks the final homecoming event of the week with Fan Fest Friday. Much like Sunday’s carnival, this event will include inflatables, food trucks, games, caricatures and much more. Fan Fest Friday will be running from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Finally, UConn Football kicks off the homecoming game on Saturday, Oct. 4. The Huskies will be facing off against the Florida International University Panthers, with kick off at 3:30 p.m. The Panthers and the Huskies are both currently standing at 2-2 overall, but if UConn falls to Buffalo this Saturday, a homecoming win will put the Huskies halfway to bowl eligible status.
Student ticket claim for the Huskies vs. Panthers game starts on Monday, Sept. 29 at 10 a.m. Students can also pick up a free bus ticket from Storrs to Rentschler Field at the Student Union Information Center, also beginning on Monday. More information on ticket claim can be found at uconnhuskies.com.