The Ole Miss Family Association will host the 2025 Fall Family Weekend at the University of Mississippi starting on Friday, Sept. 19. The festivities offer opportunities for Ole Miss parents to connect with their students from Trash Can Friday through the football game on Saturday afternoon.
On Friday, students and their families will be served soul food staples at a registration-required reception. Folk rock group Bonfire Orchestra from Tupelo, Miss., will provide live music.
On game day, the Ole Miss Family Association will have the largest tent in the Grove, giving students and their families a chance to experience an Ole Miss tailgate together. All registered family members and students will be met with a traditional Southern tailgate spread as they spend time building connections with other families.
When Special Assistant to the Chancellor-Family Engagement Merrill Magruder started the Ole Miss Family Association in 2013, her goal was to invite families to Oxford so they could feel more connected to the next chapter of their students’ lives. This year, approximately 5,000 family members of the Ole Miss student body are expected to attend.
“My goal for Fall Family Weekend is that you come your students’ freshman year and that you meet other families. You can then tailgate with them for the next four years to continue that connection with Oxford and Ole Miss,” Magruder said.
Magruder says she is grateful for the relationship the association has with Ole Miss Athletics as they discount football ticket prices for family members attending.
This year, campus departments will be tabling to give parents an opportunity to learn more about what campus offers. The University of Mississippi Division of Outreach and Continuing Education will feature its Lifelong Learning program.
Magruder says that student volunteers, graduate assistants and the Columns Society are instrumental when it comes to organizing Fall Family Weekend, helping with registering parents and marketing to the community.
“I love for families to be able to see students in their new environment,” Magruder said. “For them to have the opportunity to meet roommates and even other parents really harbors a deeper sense of community and really helps them feel a part of the Ole Miss family.”
For students, Magruder recognizes the homesickness many can feel, so she hopes bringing families to Oxford helps them recharge.
“This four-to-five week mark can be hard for any student who is away from home, so giving them that opportunity to spend quality time with loved ones and show them their home away from home can really encourage students to finish the semester strong before they go home for the holidays,” Magruder said.
The Ole Miss Family Association hopes to host an additional family weekend in the spring semester to show parents what Oxford is like outside of football season. Also in the spring, the association has plans for a family reunion, which they have hosted in the past.
