UT Dallas Family Day

Family Day is an opportunity for parents and siblings to sample life on the UT Dallas campus.

Every fall, Cayman Nava’s parents would drive up from Houston to participate in Family Day at UT Dallas.

They enjoyed the food, the chance to meet other parents, the students’ energy on the mall and seeing the new buildings that had cropped up since their last visit to campus.

“Every time they came there was something new. It kept it interesting for them,” said Nava, who graduated with a computer science degree in August. “Even when I had to work the event—like setting up, serving food or giving tours—they just talked to other families on the mall. They definitely had a good time.”

Organizers are expecting a large crowd at this year’s event on Saturday, Oct. 13. About 760 moms and dads have already registered.

“This should be the biggest one we’ve had,” said Daniel Long, assistant director of student life programs. “It’s a chance for family members to come back on campus. We have some that come a good distance.”

Registration is $25, with students and children under 12 admitted free. Registration includes a Family Day T-shirt, lunch catered by Freebirds World Burrito, fair-like games for all ages, a volunteer project and admission to an afternoon volleyball game between the UT Dallas Comets and Mary-Hardin Baylor. Two Apple iPads will be raffled off as door prizes at halftime. 

For the first time, UT Dallas Athletics will offer a sports clinic in the Activity Center for children ages 5-12. 

Temoc at Family Day sitting with a parent.

Organizers are expecting a large crowd at this year’s Family Day.

A welcome program on the campus mall under the trellis, or in the Clark Center if weather is inclement, will feature greetings from President David E. Daniel, Dean of Students Gene Fitch, Student Government President Rajiv Dwivedi and Kenneth Pugh, clinical associate professor at the Callier Center.

The Student Wellness Center and Recreational Sports will sponsor family-friendly competitions, and the Office of Student Volunteerism has organized a “Scarves for the Homeless” program, at which guests can help decorate fabric pieces that will be made into scarves. Organizers hope to donate 100 scarves to The Samaritan Inn in McKinney, a homeless shelter in Collin County.

But mostly, it’s a chance for families to see what life on campus is all about for their college students. Nava’s parents always included an overnight stay in their son’s on-campus apartment before heading back to Houston. 

“They’d sleep on my couch,” Nava said. “We always had a good time.”

For more information about Family Day, call 972-883-6171.