Celebrating (re)connection at Family Weekend

Families from across Wisconsin and beyond gathered on campus for Family Weekend 2025. Hosted each year by UW-Madison's Parent and Family Program, undergraduate students welcomed their loved ones to campus for three days of academic, athletic and social activities, from hockey games to community events to gatherings at the iconic Der Rathskeller.

For some, Family Weekend marked their first reunion since drop-off in late August. Others looked forward to returning to campus to partake in traditions created during past Family Weekend events. But one thing was clear: being together was the highlight of the trip. "Seeing and hugging my son was priority number one," said Kelly Bernardy of her son O'Reilly Bernardy, a first-year undergraduate student from St. Paul, Minnesota.