Many events, on-campus and off, will be held this Moms Weekend.
Emily Bridgman and her mom always seem to make their way to the Cat’s Eye Saloon, 12 N. Court St., for their Moms Weekend celebrations.
“It’s not really a tradition, it just happens to be where we go,” Bridgman, a sophomore studying early childhood education, said. “It’s really the only time I’ve ever even gone to the bars.”
Whether or not students plan to take their mothers Uptown, there are more than 25 events planned to keep them busy throughout the weekend.
If moms don’t want to make the trip to the bars but still would enjoy a glass of wine and some show tunes, Athens Uncorked, 14 Station St., is the place to be Friday night, Christi Camper Moore, the executive director and artistic coordinator for Ohio Valley Summer Theater, said.
“We really wanted to create an environment that moms and their students can come and explore talents and be unique and sing some show tunes,” Camper Moore said. “Hang out without the trek Uptown.”
The event will feature wine, appetizers and karaoke which features Broadway show tunes.
Additionally, admission is $20 and proceeds will go to the Ohio Valley Summer Theater Program, which is approaching its 65th season this year.
On Saturday, the Black Student Cultural Programming Board will be hosting a Moms Weekend Expo, where mothers and their students can enjoy massages, take photos in the photo booth and explore their creative side with arts and crafts, Jeffrey Billingslea, the president of the Black Student Cultural Programming Board, said.
“It’s more of a stop-through event … mostly like if there’s an event at 2 (p.m.) and you’re just around campus and you’re in Baker, come get a quick massage, get a quick bite to eat, get a henna tattoo, take a picture with your child,” Billingslea said. “It’s just little quick things.”
The event is free to all and will take place from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. on the second floor of Baker Center.
Billingslea said the event has been around for about five years, and there are at least 1,000 people that attend every year.
“It’s just really to give back, to make sure the moms and their children are getting as close as possible, especially here while they are on campus,” Billingslea said. “Just to have a good time and relax with moms and get to know all of the OU community that comes out for them and their parents.”
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Another event that takes place on Saturday is the Moms Weekend Open House at Hillel at OU, 21 Mill St. from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.
The Open House will feature art by Sula Medovoy, an OU student graduating in 2016, lunch and music, Lauren Goldberg, the assistant director at Hillel, said.
“We are opening up our doors and welcoming parents of Bobcats, Bobcats in general to come and have a beautiful lunch together, mingle, meet each other and see some of the incredible art,” Goldberg said. “But really, this is a social opportunity. We’re just inviting people to come together in this space and get to meet each other.”
Goldberg also said it is a very special opportunity that is unique to OU.
“We love, love, love to meet the parents of the Bobcats that we know. It is so wonderful, especially after really getting to know a student, to meet their parent,” Goldberg said. “There’s nothing better than seeing a beloved student and being able to tell their parent face-to-face how much we treasure having their student here on campus.”
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