We offer a variety of activities so you can plan your ultimate Homecoming & Family Weekend experience. Some notes to consider:
- Events are complimentary unless otherwise noted.
- Ticketed events may fill quickly so reserve early.
- Unless otherwise noted, tickets are one per person, including your Wildcat.
- Registration & ticket sales begin August 19 @ 3pm EST. Advanced ticket sales end Sept. 30.
- All sales are final/no refunds.
- HFW fun happens in rain or shine. If it does rain, some events may move inside.
Click on each date below to see what's scheduled, and check back often to stay informed on any updates.
On Harborside:
11am–3pm / Taste of Rhode Island / Harbor View Dining
Arriving early to Providence? Start off Homecoming & Family Weekend on the patio of Harbor View Dining. Enjoy a locally sourced lunch and sample cuisine from local restaurants and vendors, while listening to live music and overlooking the Bay. No advance ticket is required; cash or credit accepted at the door. $14 per person. Students can use a meal swipe for entry.
All of the below activities are on the Downcity Campus!
2–7pm / Check-in / Gaebe Commons
Kick off the weekend with some music and outdoor games. Stop by to check in and get any tickets you reserved. You can also purchase HFW commemorative tees – or pick up any you purchased in advance – and chat with members of the HFW planning team.
4pm / Weybosset Historical Walking Tour / starts @ Abbott Park
Learn about the arts, entertainment and historic architecture scene along Weybosset Street, adjacent to JWU’s Downcity Campus. Faculty from the Colleges of Arts & Sciences and Hospitality Management will lead the conversation during an easy stroll starting at Abbott Park, traveling toward the Providence River, and back to Abbott Park via Westminster Street. Tickets not required, but group size is limited to approximately 50 and will be monitored on the day of the tour.
4–7pm / Arts & Sciences Labs Showcase / TACO Center
Stop by to explore two of the College of Arts & Sciences' academic labs. In the Center for Media Production (1st floor), interact with the green screen and record a spot in the Podcasting Studio. At the Criminal Justice Lab (5th floor), watch Criminalistics students and faculty as they process a staged crime scene.
4pm, 5pm, or 6pm / Tea Time! / Xavier Academic Center (ticketed event; $7/person)
Experience the College of Hospitality Management's Bigelow Tea Classroom on the first floor of Xavier Academic Center. COHM faculty will lead a tea tasting, complete with discussion on tea industry trends. Three limited capacity seatings available.
5–7pm / Wildcat Family Feud / Yena Center
The JWU Travelers, a popular student organization on campus, returns with their HFW Wildcat Family Feud activity. Stop by D'Amico Auditorium in the Yena Center, any time between 5 & 7, to join the fun as contestants or audience members. Optional donations toward the Travelers' fall and spring travel accepted at the door.
6:30pm / Alcohol vs. Spirit-free Cocktails: Can you tell the difference? / Xavier Academic Center (ticketed event; $10/person)
Join COHM Beverage faculty, in the SEEM Lab, as they conduct a tasting and flavor profile comparisons of spirit-free cocktails vs. the same alcoholic cocktail. Anyone may register but participants must be 21 or over to sample alcoholic beverages.
8pm / e-BINGO / Pepsi Forum, Wales Hall
We're back for a second year of HFW e-card BINGO! Join us for some fun and a chance to win a giftcard prize. Participants must have their own device (phone or tablet; make sure it's charged) to access the internet. Ten rounds of play = ten chances to win! No charge, but note that seating is limited!
9:30pm / Fun with the JWU Players / Pepsi Forum, Wales Hall
Our theater-focused student organization, the JWU Players, is excited to present a one-act play. Prepare to be entertained as you watch the Players show off their talent. Optional donations toward the Players' spring musical accepted at the door.
All activities on the Harborside Campus!
9:30am–3:30pm / Check-in / Friedman Center
If you missed us on Friday, stop by to check in, pick up or purchase HFW commemorative tees, and chat with members of the HFW planning team. We'll be in the Student Engagement lounge.
9:30–10am / Parent & Family Welcome / Friedman Center
Members of our Parent & Family Advisory Board invite you stop by JWU's prestigious Culinary Arts Museum to say hello and enjoy a beverage/light snack. This is a great way to start the day and get ready for greetings from JWU’s president.
10–11am / Wildcat Chat with President Marie Bernardo-Sousa, LP.D., '92 / Friedman Center
Also in the Culinary Arts Museum, JWU’s Providence Campus president will reflect on the first weeks of the academic year and discuss the vision for JWU's future. College deans and department leaders will join President Bernardo-Sousa for Q&A at the conclusion of this special session.
11am–4pm / Culinary Arts Museum / Friedman Center
Stroll through our collection at your leisure and learn more about this hidden JWU gem.
11am, 11:45am, 12:30pm, 1:15pm / Cake Creations / Wildcat Center Lounge (ticketed event; $10/family)
With your family team, add theme-based decorations to a small cake. We’ll provide the ingredients, you supply the creativity and fun. Optional competition component. Four 30-minute sessions with ample seating capacity in each. One family ticket covers a group of up to 5 people; larger groups may split up, with extra ticket purchase.
11am–4pm / Wildcat Spirit Zone / Wildcat Center Green Space
Games, a service activity with JWU PAWS (the Pairing Animals with Students club), a photo op and lots more! Visit the Spirit Zone throughout the day.
11am–5pm / Wildcat Wahoo / Lot F (across from the CCCE Building)
We're excited to combine one of our favorite annual traditions – Wildcat Wahoo – with Homecoming & Family Weekend. The whole family can enjoy unlimited carnival rides and other surprises at Wahoo. Note this activity is weather dependent and may be postponed to Sunday in the event of heavy rain.
11am–5pm / Food Truc 68d7 k Extravaganza / Lot C (adjacent to CCCE & HAC)
Take a break and enjoy cuisine from some of Rhode Island's most popular food trucks. All food truck vendors accept cash and/or credit cards.
12–3pm / Wildcat Wellness Activities / Wildcat Center Green Space
Visit with graduate students, faculty and staff from the College of Health & Wellness to explore a variety of wellness activities. Stop by to chat and play some games. You might even win a prize!
1–4pm / Culinary Showcase / Cuisinart Center for Culinary Excellence
This is when students and chefs from our College of Food Innovation & Technology shine. Visit our state-of-the-art academic labs and enjoy complimentary samplings of sweet and savory foods. Learn about some of our culinary-focused clubs & orgs, which may have their popular goodies for sale. Don't miss our JWU artisans at work.
2–3pm / Wine Tasting / Cintas Dining Room, HAC Building (ticketed event; $15/person)
Attention wine enthusiasts or casual fans: Enjoy an interactive experience and lively discussion led by CFIT faculty. Registration is open to all but participants must be 21 or older to sample wine.
2–5pm / Wildcat Tailgate / Scotts Miracle-Gro Athletics complex
Join us for a tailgate during the men's and women's soccer games. Bring your favorite tailgate snacks and beverages, as well as a blanket or chairs, and cheer on our Wildcats! No registration is necessary. Consumption of alcoholic beverages is limited to persons 21 years and older and must be consumed responsibly within the tailgate area.
Athletics contests: Field Hockey starts @ 12pm; Men's Soccer starts @ 3pm
WaterFire / Downcity Providence 
Experience a must-see Providence tradition: WaterFire! This spectacular event brings residents and visitors alike to Rhode Island's capital city for a night of community, art, culture and more.
With a full WaterFire lighting happening in conjunction with Homecoming & Family Weekend for the first time in years, we invite JWU families to take it all in. Enjoy complimentary parking in JWU's Downcity Garage (offered to HFW registrants only). After walking toward the Providence River, take your time exploring all activities along the WaterFire route. Immerse yourself in this wonderful Providence event.
Be sure to look for JWU's HFW tent at WaterFire and stop by to see us.
Learn more by visiting the WaterFire website. For planning purposes, consider the following:
- JWU Garage access available 5:30-10pm
- WaterFire onshore activities begin at 5 and the event concludes at 10pm
- WaterFire lighting is at sunset (6:19pm), but visitors will arrive & depart all throughout the night
All activities on the Harborside Campus!
9:30am / Flutie 5K / Harborside Campus Grounds
The brothers of Theta Delta Chi fraternity bring their annual philanthropic support of the Doug Flutie Foundation's 5K for Autism to Homecoming & Family Weekend. The race kicks off at 9:30 am.
Run, walk or roll 
through the course on JWU's Harborside Campus. You can also chat with representatives from JWU Health, Counseling and Accessibility Services, who will be onsite to highlight wellness on campus.
Find complete details and register your family for the 5K direclty through the Flutie 5K website. Thank you for supporting students from Theta Delta Chi. JWU is proud of their commitment to the Flutie 5K and autism awareness.
Multiple seatings starting @ 11am / Sunday Brunch / Harbor View Rhode Island Room (ticketed event; $30/JWU student, $40/guest, $20/children under 12)
JWU's Catering team is prepared to impress with a lavish brunch. The menu includes five unique stations (carving, egg, chilled, live pasta and dessert), a bakery display, and complimentary juice, coffee and soft drinks (mocktails & cocktails for purchase). Wrap up your weekend with a delicious, relaxing brunch.
1pm / Family Movie / Wildcat Center Lounge
Relax in the Wildcat Center Lounge and enjoy a movie with your family. We'll provide the popcorn!
Cheer on our Wildcat athletes during intercollegiate competition. All games take place on the Harborside Campus, as noted.
Saturday, Oct. 5 @ 12pm / Field Hockey vs. New England College / Scott's Miracle-Gro Athletics Complex
Saturday, Oct. 5 @ 3pm / Men's Soccer vs. Dean / Scott's Miracle-Gro Athletics Complex
While you're on campus during HFW, look for posters celebrating our “This, I Believe” essay contest winners (last year's honorees pictured below). Scan QR codes and listen as students narrate their writings.
Based on journalist Edward R. Murrow's 1950's radio show, This I Believe engages people in writing and sharing essays about the core values that guide their daily lives. JWU students learn about the initiative through First-Year Reads in the College of Arts & Sciences' required English Composition course.
