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Family Weekend annually brings Northwest families together for campus activities and Bearcat football. (Photo by Lilly Cook/Northwest Missouri State University)
Northwest Missouri State University invites students and families to campus for a weekend of entertainment and Bearcat athletics during its annual Family Weekend Sept. 18-20.
“Welcoming families onto campus is one of my favorite parts about SAC,” Student Activities Council Graduate Assistant Katelyn Briggs said. “Being able to let them see a new side to campus is always fun, as these students are sharing their new home and experience with their families that they are excited about. Seeing families come together and share that Bearcat pride is an awesome experience.”
The weekend includes free entertainment and a football game against Missouri Southern State University. Other activities include the Bearcat Zone tailgate at the Raymond J. Courter College Park Pavilion and the halftime introduction of Northwest’s Family of the Year.
More details are provided below, and a complete schedule is available at www.nwmissouri.edu/familyweekend/. For more information, contact the Office of Student Involvement at 660.562.1226.
Northwest annually offers free, family-friendly entertainment during its Family Weekend in September. (Photo by Todd Weddle/Northwest Missouri State University)
Theatre Northwest opens its 2026-27 Lab Series with its annual “Fall Evening of One-Acts,” Sept. 17-19. The event begins at 7:30 p.m. each night and features four one-act plays. Tickets are $6 and may be purchased by visiting Hometown Ticketing.
Joseph Tran, a master of close-up sleight-of-hand magic and modern-day stage illusions, will perform at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18, in the Charles Johnson Theater at the Olive DeLuce Fine Arts Building. The performance is free and open to the public.
Tran, who started performing magic at a young age, earned the Magic Castle’s Young Magicians Achievement Award – the highest honor bestowed upon a young magician. Tran has performed for Fortune 500 corporations, on cruise ships, at colleges and in theaters across the world.
From 8 to 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, a pancake breakfast, sponsored by SAC, features Chris Cakes at the Michael L. Faust Center for Alumni and Friends. Students and families can enjoy all-you-can-eat pancakes, sausages, coffee and orange juice. The meal is free and open to the public.
SAC also will host bowling for Northwest families from 12:30 to 5 p.m. Saturday at Bearcat Lanes, located at 1803 S. Main St. in Maryville.
Alternatively, families can attend a free movie between noon and 5 p.m. Saturday at The Hangar, located at 1602 S. Main St. in Maryville.
Students must show a Bearcat Card to receive a game of bowling or free admission to a movie.
The Bearcat soccer team will play a match against Northeastern State University at 3 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18, at Bearcat Pitch. Then, the Bearcat volleyball team hosts Newman University at 6 p.m. in Bearcat Arena.
Kickoff for the Bearcat football game against Missouri Southern State University is at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, at Bearcat Stadium. For more information and other details about the game, visit bearcatsports.com.
