Family Weekend
October 4–5, 2025
We hope to see you at Family Weekend! Join us for a full slate of awesome activities to connect with your student, explore our campus, and experience the beauty of fall!
Get tickets for your family today!
Please enter the total number of tickets needed, and then enter each attendee's name and t-shirt size.
Students need a ticket to participate.
Reach out to students@esf.edu with any questions.
Helpful Information
Campus map (Parking will be in P-22)
Area lodging
Local dining
Accessibility Accommodations
Please indicate any need for accessibility accommodations by sending an
email to students@esf.edu and we will make sure you’re all set.
Beth's Bounty Donations
ESF’s Food Pantry serves students in need throughout the year and relies on contributions
from the ESF community.
Please consider dropping off your donation at the Family Weekend registration table.
Items that are especially helpful:
Lentils and grains
Canned proteins
Snacks
Canned fruit/vegetables
Chilis/soups
Tomato/pasta sauce
Menstrual products/toiletries
Schedule of Events
For any questions, contact the Division of Student Affairs at students@esf.edu or 315-470-6660.
Family Weekend Check-In
8:45–10:30 a.m.
Gateway Welcome Center Concourse | Check-in at our table to receive your ESF Family Weekend t-shirt, and to meet the
Division of Student Affairs staff. Coffee will be provided.
President’s Welcome Address
9:30–10 a.m.
Marshall Hall Auditorium | Join us for a Welcome Address to Family Weekend from SUNY ESF President Joannie Mahoney.
Student Life Resource Fair
8:45–10:30 a.m.
Gateway Center | Visit with staff to learn about resources, ask questions, and discover the great
things that are happening at ESF.
Tie-Dye Your Family Weekend T-Shirt
10:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
ESF Quad Tent | We will provide materials to help you participate in a long-standing ESF tradition,
to tie-dye your family weekend t-shirt! Make sure that you grab your shirt during
check-in.
ESF Crafters & Club Fair
10 a.m.–2 p.m.
Gateway | Come check out and shop with some of our amazingly talented crafters! Student clubs
will also be leading demonstrations and highlighting some of their work.
Family Photos
10 a.m.–2 p.m.
Gateway Center & on the Quad | Grab your family and snap a selfie in front of our backdrop — props available for
some fun shots!
Family Caricatures Time
10 a.m.–2 p.m.
Gateway Concourse | Come get a fun drawing of you and your family to commemorate Parent and Family Weekend!
Timber Sports Meet
10 a.m.–4 p.m.
Tully Field Station |Come watch the timber sports team compete!
Food Trucks
11 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
ESF Quad | Enjoy Syracuse area Food Trucks with your family on the Quad and eat under our tent.
*Costs associated are not included in the Family Weekend registration fee. *
Tours and Shows
10:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
Self-Guided Tour | Oakwood Cemetary
Digital maps are available on the Oakwood Cemetary Website or at the Welcome Desk in Gateway.
10:30 a.m.–2:30 p.m.
ESF and Syracuse University Self-Guided Tour
Be sure to look for historical posters in various ESF buildings for some great information.
10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m.
Birds of Prey Show | Marshall Auditorium
Come face-to-face with some exotic birds of prey and learn about the Page Wildlife
Center!
10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m.
The Art and Science of Paper Making | Corner of the Quad near the stairs and walk to 102 Walters Hall
Paper has been handmade for thousands of years. Come try this ancient technique and
make your own sheet of paper! Also, perform some destructive tests to see how much
force it takes to crush, punch a hole into, and pull apart different kinds of paper.
*Limited to 25 people at a time
10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m.
Tour of the Roosevelt Wildlife Collections | Lower Level of the Gateway Center
Join Rebecca Rundell, Associate Professor and Head Curator of the Roosevelt Wildlife
Collections, as she takes you through the College’s fascinating collection of wildlife.
*Limited to 10 people at a time
10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m.
Tour of the Pollinator Gardens | Meet at the Gateway Center
Join Molly Jacobson, Pollinator Ecologist and Co-Chair of the Bee Campus USA program,
to learn what SUNY ESF is doing to benefit our native pollinators.
ESF Pancake Breakfast
9–11:30 a.m.
Gateway Center
Join us for a pancake breakfast featuring ESF’s very own maple syrup! Fill up on pancakes, sausage, juice, and paint a pumpkin.
Bad Batch Bakery & Brews will have a coffee cart in the concourse, selling specialty coffee drinks.
Get Your Gear
Visit the ESF College Bookstore for the latest Mighty Oak gear.
We’re giving our families 10% off their purchase! Shop for all things ESF: sweatshirts, T-shirts, mugs, maple syrup, books, and so much more.
Open 9 a.m.–1 p.m. Saturday.
Featured Activities
Build your own adventure in the Syracuse Area
Costs associated with these activities are not included in the Parent and Family Weekend fee. Advance ticket purchase may be required.
Friday, October 3rd
Syracuse University Late Night Ice Skating | 8–11 p.m.
Tennity Ice Skating Pavillion (511 Skytop Rd., Syracuse, N.Y. 13244)
ESF Students can skate for free! Tickets for parents are $8 for entry and $4 for skate rental. *You must bring your SUNY ESF ID*
Inner Harbor Fest | 4–9 p.m.
328 West Kirkpatrick St., Syracuse
Enjoy food trucks, live music and fireworks on the harbor at 8:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 4th
Wolff's Biergarten Oktoberfest
Free and Family-Friendly | Clinton Square, Downtown Syracuse
Enjoy a full day of live music, authentic German food and drink, local vendors, and fall fun for all ages. From stein-holding contests and wiener dog races to kids’ activities and dancing in the street, there’s something for everyone to enjoy.
The Syracuse Orchestra — Cirque de la Symphonie | 7:30 p.m.
The Oncenter Crouse Hinds (421 Montgomery St., Syracuse, N.Y.)
The Syracuse Orchestra welcomes Cirque de la Symphonie artists, including aerial flyers, acrobats, contortionists, dancers, and jugglers. Each artist’s performance is choreographed specifically for the classical and popular contemporary music performed by The Syracuse Orchestra.
Inner Harbor Fest | 4–9 p.m.
328 West Kirkpatrick St., Syracuse
Enjoy food trucks, live music and fireworks on the harbor at 8:30 p.m.
Sunday, October 5th
Vince O'Neil Wild Mushrooms Festival | noon–4 p.m.
Beaver Lake Nature Center (8477 E. Mud Lake Rd. Baldwinsville, NY 13027)
Join members of the Central New York Mycological Society for an afternoon dedicated to wild mushrooms. Guided hikes will take place at 1 PM and 2:30 PM. Walks are limited to the first 25 registrants. Registration for walks opens at 10 AM on Saturday, October 5; call 315-638-2519 to register.
Year Round Attractions
DIY Candle Experience — Make your own custom fragrance!
CAMP Candle Bar (191 Walton St. Syracuse, NY 13202)
Camp Candle Bar requires booking directly on their website. A retail shop that allows customers to design and create their own custom candles with our variety of seasonal scents, curated jars, and accessories.
Rosamond Gifford Zoo | 10 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Rosamond Gifford Zoo (1 Conservation Place Syracuse, NY 13204)
Visit the zoo home to more than 700 animals representing 275 species, many of them endangered or threatened in the wild.
Museum of Science & Technology | 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m.
500 S. Franklin St., Syracuse, NY 13202
35,000 square feet of interactive, hands-on exhibis where you can build a foam block tower, interact with dinosaurs, climb the 5-level indoor playhouse.
Other places to check out!
Indulge in the culinary diversity of Syracuse at the Salt City Market.
484 S. Salina Street
Try innovative and diverse food offerings at Syracuse’s newest and fastest growing food market.
Pick apples and sample cider at America’s Best Orchard, Beak & Skiff.
2708 Lords Hill Road (Rt 80), Lafayette, NY 13084
Named the #1 apple orchard in the nation! Stop by to pick your own apples, enjoy some baked goods, or pick up some goodies.
Last Pick Your Own wagon goes out at 5 p.m.
Connect community and inspiration at The Everson Museum of Art.
401 Harrison St, Syracuse, NY 13202
The Everson Museum of Art in Downtown Syracuse, New York, is a major Central New York museum focusing on American art.
Get your fill of fall at Tim's Pumpkin Patch.
2901 Rose Hill Rd, Marietta, NY 13110
Tim's Pumpkin Patch is owned by Tim and Erica Leubner and their 3 daughters. They are a pick-your own pumpkin farm with a lot of awesome fun farm activities for the entire family