Every year Ohio University’s Dads Weekend creates a fun bonding experience between students and their dads, and this year is no exception.
The weekend is filled with a plethora of activities ranging from outdoor experiences to OU sporting events, and this year there are some events sponsored by the Performing Arts and Concert Series.
Corbin Marsh, assistant director of programming for the Performing Arts and Concert Series, is excited to welcome Michael Kosta, a correspondent on The Daily Show and a stand-up comedian, as Friday’s main Dads Weekend event.
“I think he’s really funny, and I think he’s going to work really well to connect with both students and their dads,” Marsh said.
Kosta will do a stand up comedy act in Baker Ballroom at 8 p.m. Marsh thinks it’ll be a cool experience to host a comedian in the ballroom, because the Performing Arts and Concert Series doesn’t typically hold events there.
Though Kosta is Friday’s main event, there are also plenty of other events for students and their dads on Friday night. There’s a poetry slam at 7 p.m. in Baker Theater and the OU hockey game at Bird Arena against Michigan-Dearborn at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Marsh is pleased to host Any Colour, a local Pink Floyd tribute band who has been working for months on The Wall and plans to perform the album from beginning to end. It’s performance will be held in the Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium at 8 p.m., and will be complete with a light show.
“It’s going to be quite the experience,” Marsh said. “I’m pretty excited about that. I know people have been buzzing about it a lot, it’s probably our most photographed poster in the building. I think it definitely appeals to the dads coming that weekend, but also Pink Floyd is still relevant to college students today.”
Any Colour used to perform at Jackie O’s Pub and Brewery, and when Jackie O’s stopped doing music, the group moved to The Union Bar and Grill, 18 W. Union St. The band typically performs during Dads Weekend, but this is the first time it has been officially booked for Memorial Auditorium during the weekend.
Saturday also brings a few sporting events for the dads and students to check out, including the OU basketball double header featuring the men’s game against Capital at 1 p.m., the women’s game against Walsh at 3:30 p.m. and the Hawaiian night for OU hockey against Michigan-Dearborn at Bird Arena at 7:30 p.m.
Sunday finishes off the weekend with the dads pancake breakfast, hosted by Bobcathon in the Baker Theater Lobby at 9:30 a.m.
Marsh knows that some students appreciate university events because they act as an alternative to just going to bars. However, he also knows some students want to take their dads to the bars on Court Street, but he believes that with the timing of the events students will be able to do both.
“It’s a great way to break the ice with your dad,” Marsh said. “It’s a nice thing to do and then be able to have that to talk about afterward.”
Lauren Rich, a freshman studying early childhood education, is taking her dad to the basketball games this weekend among other events.
“I’m excited to spend one-on-one time with my dad because I miss that, and to show him around the school,” Rich said. “We both love basketball so I’m excited for us to go to the games.”
Sophie Ballou, a freshman studying fashion merchandising, is excited to spend the weekend with her dad and sister all together before her sister graduates.
“I’m excited for Dads Weekend because it’s my first time having my dad come down here,” Ballou said. “My sister is a senior so it’s my first year and her last year, so it’ll be really exciting for us to all be together at Dads Weekend before she graduates.”
Marsh believes university events also foster a great sense of belonging and togetherness on campus, so he encourages everyone to come to the events.
“When you go to an event in a room with hundreds of your peers, you get this sort of collective sense of belonging that you’re experiencing this thing together,” Marsh said. “That’s one of the beauties of going to a live event.”
Pricing and tickets for all of the events can be found online at OU’s website under Family Weekends.
