St. Bonaventure’s annual Family Weekend Festival begins this weekend on Sept. 21 at 11 a.m. on the outside basketball courts of the Sandra A. & William L. Richter Center. The festival is time where homesick students can see their families again.
Rob DeFazio, the director for the Center for Activities, Recreation and Leadership, and Robbie Chulick, the assistant director for the CARL, have been planning family weekend since last year and are expecting a big turnout.
“We expect several thousand people to walk through the outdoor courts between the Richter and Reilly Center,” said Chulick.
Previously known as Bonagany and taking place in the town of Allegany, the festival mixed Bona school spirit with Allegany pride. With shops and school clubs set up along the main street in Allegany and live music, the festival of Bonagany was an image of community and union between Allegany and Bonaventure.
The Family Weekend Festival still plans to capture this union and the spectacle that came with it.
“We have about 20 external vendors coming into campus, and then we have about 25 student groups that have also decided to participate,” Chulick said.
The change of venue from Allegany to campus has had its setbacks though as Chulick admitted. Most considerably, it has just taken longer to plan due to more things being on campus than ever. However, there is still much excitement around it and it offers many great opportunities for students.
“It is great not only for our now larger undergraduate population, but to just show the campus vibrancy that weekend,” Chulick said.
Activities, food trucks, shop vendors and club tables offer a lot of entertainment for students and their families. It also is a great opportunity for clubs to raise awareness about their causes, as well as raise money.
Events begin on Friday and continue through Sunday morning. The Fifth Annual Polar Spray to benefit Special Olympics New York will begin on Friday, Sept. 21 with on the outdoor basketball courts between the Richter Center and the Reilly Center. At 5 p.m., participants will be sprayed by a fire hose courtesy of volunteer firefighters with the Allegany Fire Department.
Events like golf, a 2.5 run/walk, alumni parents reception and open house at Mt. Irenaeus begin on Saturday. Finally, on Sunday, you can wind down and relax by watching St. Bonaventure host a women’s club softball game against the University of Rochester, a men’s club soccer game against SUNY Fredonia and a men’s club baseball double header vs. University at Buffalo.
There’s live entertainment, a number of family friendly games, contests and a number of SBU Division I and club sport contests to watch.
By Brendan O’Leary, Staff Writer
olearybm16@bonaventure.edu
