Record turnout for Family Weekend begins with reception in Dewberry Hall

Patriot Leaders man the registration tables outside Dewberry Hall as parents and family members sign-in for this year's Family Weekend activities. (Adam Sylvain) 

Families gathered outside Dewberry Hall Friday evening for a check-in reception kicking off this year’s Family Weekend. The event, in its 10th year, has registered its largest crowd yet, according to a representative from Orientation and Family Programs and Services, the office which organizes the majority of the weekend's activities.

According to Stephanie Griffin, orientation logistics coordinator, close to 3,000 family members registered for Family Weekend.

Mason families who registered with the university received two coffee mugs and a pre-made ticket package for events this weekend including a BBQ, brunch and wine tasting. For an additional three dollars, family members could purchase tickets to see comedian Seth Meyers on Saturday night at the Patriot Center. Registration cost $42 per person.

Pre-registration was required for the Mason Family Welcome and Dinner, with opening remarks made by President Merten and Warren Brown, D.C. entrepreneur and founder of CakeLove and Love Café. The welcome dinner was co-sponsored by the College of Humanities and Social Sciences in conjunction with Orientation and Family Programs and Services.

Susette Gross, mother of Zachary Gross, a freshman film and video studies major, discussed their family’s plans for Family Weekend. “We’re here to check-in tonight and tomorrow we are coming back for Seth Meyers,” Gross said. “We’re also trying to get his younger sister to experience different aspects of campus life.” The Gross family made the short trip from Herndon, VA and they expect to come back to Mason for some basketball games later in the fall.

Not every family had the luxury of a short commute. Carin Rodriguez, whose son Matthew is a freshman biology major at Mason, drove from Westchester, New York to participate in the weekend festivities. “We came in last night and are going to Mason Madness at the Patriot Center,” she said. “We might also go into Georgetown tomorrow before Seth Meyers.” The family plans to travel back home to New York on Sunday.

Other Family Weekend events on tap throughout the weekend include campus tours, led by the Mason Ambassadors, a performance by comedian Seth Meyers, and a green eggs and ham brunch on Sunday morning. A full list of weekend events can be seen here.