The theme of Family Weekend might change every year, but many traditions remain the same.

This year’s theme — the 1980s and the band Journey — is part of the new additions. It was a theme that the student-staff running the event thought would be fun and provide a lot of opportunities for creativity, said Kevin Cleary, coordinator for student programs in the Center for Student Involvement and Leadership.

In his first time advising Family Weekend, Cleary participated in another long-standing tradition: starting early.

“We’ve been working on putting together this Family Weekend since the beginning of the summer,” he said.

Some of the events from previous years will carry over to this weekend.

Cleary named one such event as Bear Down Friday, a tradition on the Friday of home games where coaches come to speak to fans, cheerleaders and band members play and Wildcats gather on University Boulevard in a college-era pep rally for the big game.

The Wildcat Walk on Saturday lets fans see the team before the big game. After the game, the Pride of Arizona marching band will play the fight song in the Alumni Plaza in front of the Administration building.

But a special addition to the tradition of the tailgate west of Cherry Avenue is a Journey cover band.

“And how can you not enjoy a Journey cover band?” Cleary quipped.
Comedy Corner will perform Friday night, traditional for the semester, but this weekend, Family Weekend organizers are also bringing in two professional comedians, Kyle Cease and Lee Camp, for families to enjoy.

Plus, the Wildcat World Fair, which was added last year to Family Weekend, and Sunday’s capping brunch, “where everyone’s going to have one last meal together” fit into the tradition of uniting families on campus, he said.

“I love hearing from parents about how excited they are to come and see campus and in a less stressful environment than say, move-in,” Cleary said, something he witnessed firsthand as a former community director in the Navajo-Pinal Residence Hall. “It’s a great chance for the UA community to showcase what’s happening here.”