Bowling, tailgating and gambling all will be part of this year’s annual Family Weekend, which runs through Sunday.

The Campus Activities Board-sponsored weekend is when families of NIU students are invited to participate in various events and activities.

“The purpose of this weekend is to invite the families to join in on the fun festivities planned,” CAB President Laisha Fox said. “There will be family entertainment, academic activities and guaranteed fun for all.”

This year, families who come will get to participate in a wide range of activities, from gambling at Casino Night to tailgating before the Huskies game against Kent State University on Saturday.

For the weekend, CAB has planned five events.

“We do Casino Night on Friday,” said Lesley Clements, CAB adviser and Parents Association liaison. “We also sponsor prizes for the Huskie Den, because they sponsor the free bowling.”

Along with fun activities throughout the weekend, CAB also provides meals for families, including a university breakfast Saturday morning, a Papa John’s pizza dinner Saturday night and a breakfast buffet on Sunday morning.

There is a family weekend film, which plays on Friday and Saturday. This year it’s “Scooby Doo,” Clements said.

Another event that CAB has planned is a magic show on Saturday night.

“Mike Hammer is a comedian magician from California,” Clements said. “We look for entertainment parents want to see.”

Other activities going on throughout the weekend include open houses throughout academic colleges and other university offices.

“Parents can go through and talk to faculty advisers,” Clements said. “Offices and departments can get a chance to show what they are doing.”

Invitations for the weekend, which is co-sponsored by the Parents Association, had been sent out in early July. CAB is expecting at least 600 to 1,000 families on campus this weekend.

“The goals and expectations that I wish to accomplish is for everyone to have a good time, and also that Family Weekend 2002 be very memorable,” Fox said.

Clements acknowledged that parents are the main reason why the weekend was planned. In addition, she said that students who have parents involved usually do better in school.

“I feel it is very important for parents to come check out the university environment and better understand the new lives of their students,” Fox said. “Most students will be excited to see their family for many reasons, for some students this will be the first time since school began to see their families.”