This Weekend @ BU: October 16 to 19
From BU’s Family & Friends Weekend to the annual Head of the Charles Regatta, this weekend is packed with autumnal activities
This Weekend @ BU: October 16 to 19
Crisp days when the sun shines and leaves crunch underfoot mark not only the onset of fall in Boston, but also the middle of the semester—a perfect time for family and friends to check in with students. As the city prepares for the Head of the Charles Regatta, BU prepares for Family & Friends Weekend, where guests are invited to campus to see what students have been up to and get a taste of the Boston fall themselves.
Christy Loring, director of Parent and Family Programs, says the weekend is for all, even if they don’t have visitors coming to campus. She says they want “to really respect and honor that many students make their own families.”
To make a jam-packed weekend slightly less stressful, we’ve put together a list of on- and off-campus events so visitors and students can fully enjoy their reunions.
Head of the Charles Regatta
This legendary Boston tradition, begun in 1965, draws over 11,000 rowers from around the world to compete. With BU’s campus just a five-minute walk from the Esplanade, students, family, and friends can easily watch the 74 races nearby—great views of the race can be seen from BU Beach, the BU Bridge, or the DeWolfe Boathouse. Apart from rowing, spectators can head to the Weld Exhibition, near Harvard Square, for food and merchandise or the Riverbender, where alumni and spectators gather to cheer on their respective teams. A Rowing and Fitness Expo at the finish line allows spectators to step beyond the spectator role and into the rower role with a rowing machine.
The BU men’s and women’s rowing teams, as well as BU alumni, will compete throughout the weekend. Read our full story Friday to find their rowing times.
Friday, October 17, through Sunday, October 19. Find a complete racing schedule here.
BU All-Campus Orchestra and BU Concert Band
The BU Concert Band and All-Campus Orchestra will perform for the first time this semester at the College of Fine Arts. These ensembles are open to non-music majors and offer BU students the opportunity to continue making music and enhance their college experience.
Friday, October 17, 7:30 pm, College of Fine Arts Concert Hall, 855 Commonwealth Ave. No registration or tickets required to attend.
Stage Troupe’s Production of Company
Join BU’s Stage Troupe to enjoy their production of Company, by legendary composer Stephen Sondheim.
Friday, October 17, and Saturday, October 18, 8 pm, and Sunday, October 19, 2 pm, Tsai Performance Center, 685 Commonwealth Ave. Purchase tickets here.
Open Houses
Now that students are settled in for the semester, the University has an opportunity to show off all the resources it offers to students. Open houses will be held throughout the weekend and include the Center for Career Development, the LGBTQIA+ Student Resource Center, Study Abroad, the Pardee School of Global Studies, and the College of Arts & Sciences Advising.
Friday, October 17. Find all the listed times and locations at the event schedule here.
Know Before You Go Reunion
After a series of virtual orientation sessions for incoming freshmen and transfer students this summer (dubbed “Know Before You Go”), Christy Loring and John Battaglino, assistant dean of students and senior advisor to the dean, will hold a reunion of sorts. “We will showcase what the beginning of the school year has been like for the past eight weeks [and] what’s been going on here,” Loring says.
Saturday, October 18, 11:30 am to 12:30 pm, George Sherman Union, 775 Commonwealth Ave., 2nd floor, Metcalf Ballroom. Register here.
Athletic Events
Besides the rowing team at the Head of the Charles, you can show the Terriers some support at these athletic events this weekend:
Women’s Ice Hockey vs. Brown
Friday, October 17, 6 pm, Walter Brown Arena, 285 Babcock St. Buy tickets here; students have free admission.
Women’s Soccer vs. American University
Saturday, October 18, 1 pm, Nickerson Field, 285 Babcock St. No registration or tickets required.
Swimming & Diving vs. Bucknell
Saturday, October 18, 1:30 pm, Fitness & Recreation Center Competition Pool, 915 Commonwealth Ave. No registration or tickets required.
Boston Veg Food Fest
This weekend marks one of the largest vegan events in the world, where the Boston Vegetarian Society educates vegetarians and nonvegetarians alike about their mission to replace animal foods with plant foods. Speakers will share knowledge ranging from the health benefits of a vegetarian diet to how sustainability ties into it. Find more details here.
Saturday, October 18, 10 am to 5 pm, and Sunday, October 19, 11 am to 4 pm, Reggie Lewis Athletic Center, 1350 Tremont St., Boston.