Welcome Families!
We are thrilled to welcome parents and families for a weekend of fun!
At Kalamazoo College we appreciate and value the supporting role that families play in the education of their student. We invite you to enjoy a celebratory and informative weekend at Kalamazoo College. Family Weekend typically occurs at the beginning of November.
Family Weekend 2025 is scheduled for November 7-9, 2025. Throughout the weekend, families are encouraged to explore the Kalamazoo community with their student. An information table is available in the Hicks Student Center Friday morning through Sunday morning with campus and local resources, and registration is not required to attend. Come when you are able, stay as long as you can, and enjoy a lovely fall weekend with your student!
Navigating Campus During Family Weekend
Accessibility Information
Learn about accessible parking around campus along with barrier free access to campus buildings.
Accessible Parking & Buildings with Barrier Free Access
Report an accessibility barrier to HR and Accessibility Services at K. We will address all concerns as soon as possible. Thank you.
Report an Accessibility Barrier
Campus Map
Nearly all events listed in the Family Weekend Schedule have links to the location of events. For a full map visit the Kalamazoo College Campus Map page. Alternatively, maps will be provided at the information table throughout the weekend.
Family Weekend Schedule 2025
Information Table & Spirit Shop Hours
Friday, November 7th
9 a.m. – 5 p.m. | Information Table
Location: Hicks Student Center, Atrium
Stop by to access a variety of information about the campus and the wider Kalamazoo community. Pick up schedules, information sheets, things to do in Kalamazoo, maps, a local restaurant guide, and more.
9 a.m.-5 p.m. | Kalamazoo College Spirit Shop Open
Location: Hicks Student Center, Lower Level
Saturday, November 8th
8 a.m. – 5 p.m. | Information Table
Location: Hicks Student Center, Atrium
Stop by to access a variety of information about the campus and the wider Kalamazoo community. Pick up schedules, information sheets, things to do in Kalamazoo, maps, a local restaurant guide, and more.
9 a.m.-5 p.m. | Kalamazoo College Spirit Shop Open
Location: Hicks Student Center, Lower Level
Sunday, November 9th
8 a.m.-1 p.m. | Information Table
Location: Hicks Student Center, Atrium
Stop by to access a variety of information about the campus and the wider Kalamazoo community. Pick up schedules, information sheets, things to do in Kalamazoo, maps, a local restaurant guide, and more
Friday, November 7
Open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. | The Book Club
Location: Upjohn Library Commons, 1st floor
This coffee shop offers grab and go sandwiches, salads, snacks, and drinks. Families may pay via credit/debit card only.
7:30 a.m.-10 a.m. | Breakfast | 10-11 a.m. | Continental Breakfast
Location: Hicks Student Center, Welles Dining Hall
Our premier dining location, Welles serves all-you-care-to-eat meals to please any appetite, including our fresh and colorful salad bar, dynamic chef-attended action station, daily entrée features, vegan and vegetarian options, as well as our Inspired Eats inclusive dining station.
Families may pay at the door via credit/debit card only.
11 a.m.-2 p.m. | Career Studio Open House
Location: Dewing Hall, Center for Career and Professional Development
The Career Studio is a dynamic drop-in space where all K students can stop by without an appointment with “Life After K” questions. Stop by and see the Career Studio in action and discover how this important campus resource can help your student..
11 a.m.-5 p.m. | The Richardson Room
Location: Hicks Student Center
Our retail cafe features a wide variety of delicious, made-to-order food options including signature sandwiches, flat breads, smoothies, and yogurt bowls. There’s an abundance of vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options too. Families may pay via credit/debit card only.
11-11:50 a.m. | Honors Day Convocation
Location: Stetson Chapel
Kalamazoo College observes Honors Day in the fall term of each year, recognizing at convocation those students who have earned honors for the year and those who have won special prizes during the previous academic year. This event will be live streamed for anyone unable to be present with us in person. Link to livestream: https://vimeo.com/event/1356498
11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. | Lunch
Location: Hicks Student Center, Welles Dining Hall
Our premier dining location, Welles serves all-you-care-to-eat meals to please any appetite, including our fresh and colorful salad bar, dynamic chef-attended action station, daily entrée features, vegan and vegetarian options, as well as our Inspired Eats inclusive dining station.
Families may pay at the door via credit/debit card only.
2-4 p.m. | The Golden Age of Illustration! Rare Book Room Exhibit
Location: Upjohn Library Commons, A.M. Todd Rare Book Room, 3rd floor, room 326 (on your left as you walk from the main staircase)
This exhibit showcases the transition of art into the literary sphere in a stunning display of 20th century illustration, highlighting imagery from key artists such as Aubrey Beardsley, Arthur Rackham, and Kay Nielsen in classic books such as The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser and Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Come and visit the A.M. Todd Rare Book Room to see the intricate visuals of these renowned illustrators!
1-4 p.m. | Financial Aid Individual Consultation
Location: Mandelle, Financial Aid Office 111
Have questions about your student’s scholarships or need-based aid? Feel free to stop by the Financial Aid Office where Financial Aid staff will be available to answer questions. The Financial Aid Office is down one flight of stairs when entering Mandelle from the Quad side. It is on the main level when entering Mandelle from the Academy Street side.
2-4 p.m. | Center for Civic Engagement Open House
Location: Dewing Hall, Ground Floor (use the east entrance off of Red Square to enter the building), Center for Civic Engagement Community Room
4:30-6 p.m. | Hoop House Community Garden Open Hours
Location: Hoop House (located behind the Fitness & Wellness Center)
Stop by our Hoop House community garden to see what’s growing, harvest vegetables, and meet Hoop House student interns. The Hoop House gardens are supported by the Environmental Stewardship Center and Center for Civic Engagement.
5-7:30 p.m. | Dinner
Location: Hicks Student Center, Welles Dining Hall
Our premier dining location, Welles serves all-you-care-to-eat meals to please any appetite, including our fresh and colorful salad bar, dynamic chef-attended action station, daily entrée features, vegan and vegetarian options, as well as our Inspired Eats inclusive dining station.
Families may pay at the door via credit/debit card only.
Evening | Art Hop Downtown Kalamazoo
Art Hop is a popular monthly event created as a way for local artists, organizations, businesses to showcase their work and to bring the Kalamazoo community together surrounding a shared love of arts and culture. This event is free to attend and takes place downtown Kalamazoo. Go to https://kalamazooarts.org/art-hop/ to get the mobile Art Hop Ap which features a map of all the Art Hop stops, photos and information about participating artists, and walking directions to help navigate Art Hop with ease.
6:00-8:00 p.m. | Kalamazoo College Art Hop Reception
Location: Park Trades Center, 326 W Kalamazoo Avenue, Suite 312.Enter through the Kalamazoo Ave main entrance. Students will help you find your way to the stairs or elevator to the third floor
Students, families, staff, and friends, please join the Department of Art and Art History for an open studio gathering in the Kalamazoo College Community Studio at the Park Trades Center. This space is home to the senior art studio workspace, where students have just begun their SIP journeys.
6:30 p.m. | German Lantern Walk
Location: Red Square (on the corner of Academy and Thompson), between Dewing and Mandelle Halls)
The German Department is hosting a German Lantern Walk (Laternelaufen) for families in the community. This is a family-friendly event for all ages, but especially younger children will enjoy the music and the lanterns. It’s a wonderful fall tradition. We would be happy to have you join us! Our students will be preparing lanterns for the kids to use, so they just need to show up. Join us for German songs and treats!
7:00-9:00 p.m. | Pumpkin Smash!
Location: The Quad
Join Student Activities to smash some pumpkins to vent out frustrations and stress. Learn about healthier choices to de-stress than getting smashed (intoxicated). Bring your old pumpkins to add to our pile! *
*We also want to help the earth! Old Jack O’ Lanterns contribute to food waste and methane. We aim to compost the remains of the Jack O’ Lanterns.
7:30 p.m. | Theatre Production – Love’s Labour’s Lost (shortened)
Location: Nelda K. Balch Festival Playhouse (located behind Light Fine Arts)
To reserve tickets, visit: https://festivalplayhouse.kzoo.edu/
Questions? Please contact Kirsten.sluyter@kzoo.edu (269) 337-7130
Shakespeare reimagined in the kaleidoscopic swirl of the 1970s, this show is a groovy, glitter-drenched romp through the far-out follies of love and intellect. In this adaptation, the King of Navarre and his pals—bell-bottomed and bantering—vow to renounce pleasure and devote themselves to cosmic enlightenment and study. But their plans are hilariously upended when a quartet of fierce and feminist ladies arrive, igniting a tug-of-war between head and heart. Amid disco beats, lava lamps, and love sonnets scribbled on vinyl sleeves, Shakespeare’s sharp wit meets flower power in a counter-cultural comedy of mistaken identities, poetic showdowns, and the grooviest declarations of love this side of Woodstock.
*The Theatre Department is offering 75% off in honor of Family Weekend! Use the code FAMILY2025 on the online checkout and save 75% on tickets (adult prices go from $25 to $6.25, seniors from $20 to $5, and kids from $5 to $1.25). Additionally, you may email or call to place an order and say you’re visiting for Family Weekend to receive the discount. This event is free for all Kalamazoo College students, faculty, staff, and alumni.
Saturday, November 8
8 a.m.-9 p.m. | “Works in Progress: Artwork by Fall 2025 Studio Classes”
Location: Light Fine Arts Galleries
Stop by the Light Fine Arts galleries to check out current Kalamazoo College student art projects.
9-9:50 a.m. | Guide to Study Abroad/Away for Families
Location: Hicks Student Center, Banquet Room
What do parents of first and second-year students need to know about study abroad and domestic study away? Learn about the vast array of K’s programs in the United States and around the globe! Sponsored by the Center for International Programs (CIP).
Coffee, tea, and doughnut holes will be available
10-10:50 a.m. | Career Development at K: Partnerships and Practice
Location: Hicks Student Center, Banquet Room
Learn about the College’s commitment to integrating career exploration and development throughout a student’s four years at K, including how parents and others can get involved. Sponsored by the Center for Career and Professional Development (CCPD).
Coffee, tea, and doughnut holes will be available
10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. | Brunch
Location: Hicks Student Center, Welles Dining Hall
Our premier dining location, Welles serves all-you-care-to-eat meals to please any appetite, including our fresh and colorful salad bar, dynamic chef-attended action station, daily entrée features, vegan and vegetarian options, as well as our Inspired Eats inclusive dining station.
Families may pay at the door via credit/debit card only.
Noon-2 p.m. | The A.M Todd Rare Book Room presents: The Golden Age of Illustration!
Location: Upjohn Library Commons, A.M. Todd Rare Book Room, 3rd floor, room 326 (on your left as you walk from the main stiarcase)
This exhibit showcases the transition of art into the literary sphere in a stunning display of 20th century illustration, highlighting imagery from key artists such as Aubrey Beardsley, Arthur Rackham, and Kay Nielsen in classic books such as The Faerie Queene by Edmund Spenser and Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Come and visit the A.M. Todd Rare Book Room to see the intricate visuals of these renowned illustrators!
All Day | Explore Kalamazoo with your student
Pick up a list of shopping, walking, and dining suggestions at the Information Table.
Open Dawn to Dusk | Take a Hike at the Lilian Anderson Arboretum
Location: Lilian Anderson Arboretum, 7787 West Main Street Kalamazoo, 49006
Located approximately 5 miles (14-minute drive) west of campus off West Main (M-43). The Lillian Anderson Arboretum is a private natural area with 5 miles of trails open to the public. The Arboretum is part of Kalamazoo College’s campus, and is comprised of 140 acres of marsh, meadow, pine plantation and second-growth deciduous forest. Open every day from dawn to dusk. Go to Arboretum@kzoo.edu for more information such as trail maps and policies.
3:00-5:00 p.m. | Hot Chocolate and Chat
Location: Hicks Center, Intercultural Center, located in the Barrett Leadership Suite
Please stop by the Intercultural Center and make your own custom, delicious mug of hot chocolate with lots of toppings! Intercultural Center staff will be there to welcome families, chat,and share ideas and strides in supporting students from various backgrounds and places.
7:30 p.m. | Theatre Production – Love’s Labour’s Lost (shortened)
Location: Nelda K Balch Festival Playhouse (located behind Light Fine Arts)
To reserve tickets, visit: https://festivalplayhouse.kzoo.edu/
Questions? Please contact Kirsten.sluyter@kzoo.edu (269) 337-7130
Shakespeare reimagined in the kaleidoscopic swirl of the 1970s, this show is a groovy, glitter-drenched romp through the far-out follies of love and intellect. In this adaptation, the King of Navarre and his pals—bell-bottomed and bantering—vow to renounce pleasure and devote themselves to cosmic enlightenment and study. But their plans are hilariously upended when a quartet of fierce and feminist ladies arrive, igniting a tug-of-war between head and heart. Amid disco beats, lava lamps, and love sonnets scribbled on vinyl sleeves, Shakespeare’s sharp wit meets flower power in a counter-cultural comedy of mistaken identities, poetic showdowns, and the grooviest declarations of love this side of Woodstock.
The Theatre Department is offering 75% off in honor of Family Weekend! Use the code FAMILY2025 on the online checkout and save 75% on tickets (adult prices go from $25 to $6.25, seniors from $20 to $5, and kids from $5 to $1.25). Additionally, you may email or call to place an order and say you’re visiting for Family Weekend to receive the discount. This event is free for all Kalamazoo College students, faculty, staff, and alumni.
9-11:30 p.m. | Zoo Flicks: Rent
Location: Dewing 103
Join the Office of Student Activities for a shadow casting of Rent. It’s not just a movie, it’s a show! Watch as students perform (lip sync) the soundtrack right in front of the screen.
Sunday, November 9
All Day | Explore Kalamazoo with Your Student
Pick up a list of shopping, walking, and dining suggestions at the Information Table.
Various Times | Worship Services
The city of Kalamazoo provides a rich variety of places of worship for a variety of faith traditions. A list is available at the Information Table. Service times vary with the season, so we recommend calling your preferred institution for the service schedule.
10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. | Brunch
Location: Hicks Student Center, Welles Dining Hall
Our premier dining location, Welles serves all-you-care-to-eat meals to please any appetite, including our fresh and colorful salad bar, dynamic chef-attended action station, daily entrée features, vegan and vegetarian options, as well as our Inspired Eats inclusive dining station.
Families may pay at the entrance via credit/debit card only.
2 p.m. | Theatre Production – Love’s Labour’s Lost (shortened)
Location: Nelda K Balch Festival Playhouse (located behind Light Fine Arts)
To reserve tickets, visit: https://festivalplayhouse.kzoo.edu/
Questions? Please contact Kirsten.sluyter@kzoo.edu (269) 337-7130
Shakespeare reimagined in the kaleidoscopic swirl of the 1970s, this show is a groovy, glitter-drenched romp through the far-out follies of love and intellect. In this adaptation, the King of Navarre and his pals—bell-bottomed and bantering—vow to renounce pleasure and devote themselves to cosmic enlightenment and study. But their plans are hilariously upended when a quartet of fierce and feminist ladies arrive, igniting a tug-of-war between head and heart. Amid disco beats, lava lamps, and love sonnets scribbled on vinyl sleeves, Shakespeare’s sharp wit meets flower power in a counter-cultural comedy of mistaken identities, poetic showdowns, and the grooviest declarations of love this side of Woodstock. The Theatre Department is offering 75% off in honor of Family Weekend! Use the code FAMILY2025 on the online checkout and save 75% on tickets (adult prices go from $25 to $6.25, seniors from $20 to $5, and kids from $5 to $1.25). Additionally, you may email or call to place an order and say you’re visiting for Family Weekend to receive the discount. This event is free for all Kalamazoo College students, faculty, staff, and alumni.
4 p.m. | The Academy Street Winds present, “The Roaring ’20’s”
Location: Light Fine Arts, Dalton Theatre
Under the direction of Greg Bassett, The Academy Street Winds presents a concert of music from 100 years ago – the Jazz Age of the 1920’s. It was a time of fascinating history… and Fascinatin’ Rhythm! The music, headlined by Kurt Weill’s Suite from Three-Penny Opera, expresses the excitement and turmoil of those years in the US and Europe: from the nationalism after the first world war and the success of the suffrage movement here in the US, to the turmoil in Spain and Germany. A concert of marches, songs, dances, and hymns capturing a decade! This event is free.
Printable Schedule
Please feel free to download and print the Family Weekend Schedule (PDF, 375 KB).
Questions
Questions about Family Weekend can be directed to Dana Jansma, Dean of Students (dana.jansma@kzoo.edu). We look forward to seeing you on campus!