The University of Tennessee at Martin will host its annual Family Weekend Sept. 8-10, featuring several events that will showcase the university and its community.
This year’s Family Weekend was planned to coincide with the 30th Tennessee Soybean Festival, which runs from Sept. 2 through Sept. 9 in Martin.
The city will have several fun events going on throughout the week and during Family Weekend for everyone to enjoy. A complete schedule of events for the festival can be found at tnsoybeanfestival.org.
John Abel, the UTM assistant vice chancellor for student affairs and the dean of students, said this year’s Family Weekend date was selected with the added fun of the Soybean Festival in mind.
“Three years ago, the Soybean Festival weekend was the only one that worked, and it went very well having Family Weekend and Soybean together, so we wanted to do that again,” he said.
Family Weekend is an opportunity for students and alumni and their families to get together and enjoy what UT Martin has to offer. The weekend is centered around the Skyhawks’ home-opening football game against Missouri State, but there is much more in store.
The weekend opens on Friday, Sept. 8, when people are welcomed by the City of Martin. The Family Weekend check-in takes place from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Martin Public Library, where people can pick up their Family Weekend T-shirts and bundles.
T-shirts cost $15 and must be pre-ordered by Aug. 28. They range in size from small to 3XL.
The Family Weekend bundle includes a UTM Family Weekend T-shirt, a general admission football game ticket and a $5 voucher for the Friday night food trucks, all for $30. Bundles must also be pre-ordered by Aug. 28.
Information about the T-shirts and Family Weekend bundles – along with other information about Family Weekend – can be found at www.utm.edu/familyweekend.
At 7 p.m. Friday, downtown Martin will be the site for the Brothers Osborne concert at the WK&T Amphitheater. Tickets range from $20 to $40 and can be purchased through the Family Weekend website.
On Saturday, Sept. 9, things get going bright and early with the Family Weekend 5K on the lawn of the Elam Center. Registration begins at 7 a.m., and the 5K begins at 8 a.m. Registration is $10 for the 5K Run and $5 for the 5K Walk or the 1K Kids Run and Walk. Registration can be done through the Family Weekend website.
The Paul Meek Library on campus will host “Donuts with Deans” from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. It’s a time to visit with UT Martin’s academic deans and enjoy donuts and coffee. This is a come-and-go event throughout the morning. People can also pick up their Family Weekend T-shirts and bundles at this event.
A barbecue lunch will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Skyhawk Dining Hall at the Boling University Center. The cost of the lunch is $9 per person plus tax and can be paid at the door.
Pacer Pond will showcase the Wildlife Society Fishing Derby from 1 to 3 p.m. Students from the UTM Wildlife Society will be on hand for this free event. Prizes will be awarded in several categories.
Also taking place from 1 to 3 p.m., Skyhawk Bingo can be found in the Duncan Ballroom at the Boling University Center, and the ballroom lobby will feature “Karaoke with Kam” with Kameron Echols, the UTM director of multicultural affairs.
“The Drop” game show will take place at 2 p.m. at Watkins Auditorium at the Boling University Center, with families competing head-to-head in a trivia contest and Minute-to-Win-It tasks to win cash awards.
A pregame tailgate party will get going from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at Hardy Graham Stadium, featuring music, a nacho bar, a photo booth, caricature artist and more.
The highlight of Family Weekend, the Skyhawks’ game against Missouri State, gets under way at 6 p.m. inside the stadium. Tickets are $20 at the gate and UTM students get in free. The two-time defending Ohio Valley Conference champion Skyhawks will take on the Missouri State Bears in UTM’s 2023 home-opener.
Ticket information as well as information about Skyhawk football and UT Martin athletics can be found at utmsports.com.
Family Weekend will not be over after the football game. On Sunday, Sept. 10, there will be a student-led nondenominational worship service at 9:30 a.m. in Duncan Ballroom at the Boling University Center.
Afterward, the Skyhawk Dining Hall in the university center will have a brunch from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The price is $13 plus tax for adults and $6 plus tax for those 12 and under.
The Miss UTM Scholarship Pageant will be held at 6 p.m. Sunday in Watkins Auditorium in the university center. Admission is $12 at the door. The accepted method of payment is cash or check.
Information about the University of Tennessee at Martin can be found at www.utm.edu.
