Family Weekend Brings Visitors, Boosts Salina Businesses
Kansas Wesleyan University’s Family Weekend brought an outstanding amount of parents, alumni and other visitors to Salina, creating a busy atmosphere on campus and providing extra customer traffic for local restaurants, shops and entertainment venues.
Family Weekend is designed to give students families an opportunity to experience campus life, attend events and spend time with their students. The university’s 2026 event was scheduled for September 18–20 bringing visitors to KWU for a weekend centered on community, campus activities and Coyote spirit. Kansas Wesleyan University’s Family Weekend page
For Salina businesses, weekends that draw families to campus can mean more people eating out, purchasing necessities and exploring the city between university events. Salina is a city of about 50,000 people with a mix of restaurants, retail stores, arts venues and entertainment options for visitors. KWU’s community guide highlights local destinations such as Cozy Inn, Blue Skye Brewery and Eats, Mokas Cafe, Red Fern Booksellers, the Stiefel Theatre and The Alley. These are only to name a few of the plenty entertainment and dining options Salina has to offer.
The added activity is especially important because visitors often look beyond campus when deciding where to eat, shop or spend their free time. A family visiting for a game, concert or student activity may stop at a local coffee shop for breakfast, get dinner downtown after an event or visit nearby stores before traveling back home. Those purchases create a direct connection between university events and the local economy.
Value Other Than Money
KWU’s Family Weekend also fits into the university’s broader tradition of hosting events that bring alumni, families and community members together. In a previous announcement about Homecoming and Family Weekend, university officials emphasized that the celebration holds value not only for the campus but also for its alumni community. KWU’s Homecoming and Family Weekend announcement noted that the event includes both new and familiar activities intended to encourage people to come back to campus.
“Family Weekend gives families a chance to see what life is like at KWU and in Salina itself”, Tyler Carpenter – Freshman Football Player. “But it also gives them a reason to get out into Salina and support the local spots that support this University and the community.”
The weekend’s impact extends beyond a few days on the calendar. When families have a positive experience at Kansas Wesleyan and in Salina, they are more likely to return for future athletic contests, performances, graduation and other campus events. That repeat visitation can continue to benefit local businesses while strengthening the relationship between KWU and the Salina community.
