Celebration Weekend is a weekend that all Skidmore students recognize as one of joy, angst, and remembering what it’s like to have parents again. If this is your first year, you’ll notice that Skidmore takes Celebration Weekend VERY seriously. They plant flowers, they hang flags, they get rid of all the leaves, they serve amazing food in DHall, and they pretend that it’s like this all the time. Apparently they think they’re convincing our parents that Skidmore always looks like this. (Just a hint: don’t shatter that illusion.) You might as well let your parents keep thinking that you’re at the happiest place on earth; the last thing you want is having them worry about you. That’s not to say that Skidmore isn’t awesome, of course; it’s just usually covered with more leaves and likes to serve French fries more than filet mignon.
We recognize that many collegiettes go into Celebration Weekend with huge expectations of what it will be like to be reunited with parents again. Whether these expectations take the form of dread, stress, excitement, or what have you, this guide is sure to help you survive Celebration Weekend.
Prepare to check your independence for a few days.
While they always have your best intentions at heart, your parents will very possibly treat you like a child again. Be ready for this. They have missed you dearly and are very excited to see their baby again. This may be adorable in theory, but we all know how frustrating it can be to feel like you have someone to report to. This is inevitable for many collegiettes; it’s better to just go with it than to get annoyed and spend your weekend fighting with the people who love you most.
STAY CALM.
We all know how much stress parents can cause – they’ll pester you with questions about your classes and the clubs you’ve joined and why your room isn’t clean. Plus, if you’re taking this independence thing in stride, you have probably prepared for your parents to come and maybe have even tried to take the planning for the weekend into your own hands. (Yay you!) If this is the case, just remember to be flexible. You and your parents both have expectations for what this weekend will be like; the calmer you stay, the calmer they will stay, and the easier it will be to enjoy the weekend.
Do things.
Staying busy is a surefire way to enjoy your time with your parents. Go out to dinner, go shopping, walk around town, explore Congress Park, etc. Having your parents here means you can let them spoil you a little! They want this to be a special weekend for you, which means they’ll probably be extra willing to spend a little extra time and money on you. That being said, check out some of our favorite Saratoga restaurants to go to with your parents:
Wheatfield’s
This is a great place to go if you are hungry for something delicious but don’t want to break your parent’s wallet! The food is great and the atmosphere is warm and friendly.
Max London’s
If you’re looking for something a little fancier, take your parents to Max London’s! Again, the food is great, and you probably won’t go here with your friends on a weekly basis, so take advantage of your parents being here.
Forno Bistro
Forno has a really amazing atmosphere. The food is super yummy and if it’s warm enough outside, you can sit on the porch overlooking North Broadway.
Ravenous
The crepes here are truly some of the best! This is a great place to hit up for breakfast or lunch, or better yet, BRUNCH!
Honestly, almost every restaurant in Saratoga is great. So explore your options and pick out something that you and your parents will love! Don’t forget to make reservations, though; with so many parents in town, restaurants will be crazy crowded!
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Show them around campus.
Your parents want to see that you are taking advantage of every opportunity given to you here at Skidmore. So, even if you don’t think you are, show them what you are doing! Walk around campus (which is even more beautiful now because of the awesome foliage), show them your classrooms, bring them to DHall, walk them through the mini club fair (10-11:30 Saturday, Case 2nd floor), show them the things you really, really like from the Skidshop (*hint*hint*), maybe point out a nice hat or mug they could get to show their Skidmore parent pride, and show them anywhere else you spend time.
Unload your stress.
Your parents want to help you with your problems. Let them. Your parents, as clueless as you think they are, do have a lot of life experience. Remember that your parents only want the best things for you in life and they’ll love you no matter what.
Go to Under the Big Top.
This is arguably the best performance at school all year. This is when all the performance groups really pull out the big guns – they do amazing performances and it’s the only time all year that they’ll be in the same place at the same time. You would be a fool to not go. It is so worth it. 8:30 p.m. Saturday in the gym. Be there.
Ileana is a peer mentor. This article was inspired by the guide that she made for her mentees in the First-Year Scribner Seminar (pictured above).