Millikin’s once-a-year Sibs & Kids weekend returns after five years.

During the Weekend of Friday, April 25th, until Sunday, April 27th, Millikin University is hosting an event called Sibs & Kids Weekend. 

Sibs & Kids Weekend is a chance for siblings of students and kids of the community to come and learn about Millikin while spending time and having fun with friends and family.

The weekend is being planned by an event planning class required for all marketing majors at Millikin. In this class, they are each responsible for attending this event and planning a different aspect of the weekend. This class offers a hands-on experience for those wanting to go into planning and marketing careers.

“I feel like with event planning, we could just be sitting down and reading a book about how to plan an event all day,” Serena Throneburg, a student in the class, said. “But actually getting up, and as a group planning the event, makes the class a lot more interesting.”

Molly Berry is the professor, but she has not been interfering with her students’ events. Instead, she guides her students when in need but allows them to find a solution on their own.

Remi Mendenhall, a student in this class, is in charge of planning the food catering and reserving rooms for Sibs & Kids Weekend.

“Molly Berry is one of the best professors I’ve had,” Mendenhall said.

Mendenhall put a lot of work into this event, though this work isn’t over quite yet.

“We are the staff, so we’re hosting, making it happen, and we have to be there,” she said. 

Mendenhall has faced some difficulties along the way. Some of these issues consisted of getting student organizations involved and working out the correct documents for catering. Despite these challenges, she is looking forward to this event and stays hopeful for the weather during Sibs & Kids Weekend.

Abby Moss, another student in charge of planning this event, is most excited about working the event and seeing all the hard work pay off, as well as enjoying the music performed by Millikin students. 

Moss shares that reaching out to vendors has been a challenging part of planning.

Throneburg’s favorite part of planning has been reaching out to Millikin’s music students and offering them a chance to play for their community. Throneburg shares that one difficulty she faced was getting in contact with the community to plan special events in the area.

“I’m looking forward to the weekend, seeing it all come together, seeing all the community members, the siblings on campus, [and] the kids on campus who are going to visit and maybe be here the next few years,” Throneburg said.

Sibs & Kids Weekend was an annual event before COVID. It was cancelled due to the risk of spreading the disease. Acknowledging this, these students decided that it was time to bring it back to Millikin.  

“Hopefully, this could inspire people to get out there and get involved,” Mendenhall says.

Mendenhall, as well as other students, hopes to bring back the local community to Millikin and encourage student organizations to get involved.

So far, there are several events planned for the weekend. On Friday the 25th, those attending can check in at the University Commons. 

After this, there will be a pajama and movie night in the UC. Following the movie night, there will be a fire pit in the quad with opportunities to make hot dogs and s’mores.

On Saturday the 26th, there are going to be food trucks present, crafts on the quad for younger kids, bounce houses, as well as a ‘Touch a Truck’ event. That night, magician Derek Hughes will be performing.

There will also be discounted tickets at the Children’s Museum, with 50% off for Millikin students and their families all day Saturday with a valid student ID. More insight into life at Millikin will be offered to those who are interested throughout the weekend.

As well as a chance to see inside Greek Life, there will also be a chance for siblings and kids to learn about the student organizations that Millikin has to offer.

On Sunday, there will be a coffee truck on campus and a worship service for all those who wish to attend. The rest of the day is free time for those visiting to do as they like.

Sibs & Kids Weekend has many events and activities that interest everyone, and there is no age limit on these fun activities. 

“If you are a child or an adult, you should come either way,” Moss said.

Sibs & Kids Weekend is free to those who want to attend, but registration is required beforehand to ensure their spot and make sure that there is enough space and materials for everyone. Mendenhall, Moss, Throneburg, and their classmates have put in hard work to make Sibs & Kids Weekend amazing.

This event is a great opportunity for kids in Decatur and families of students to get to know Millikin and all it has to offer, and appreciate the hard work of the event planning class. 

Come over to Millikin for a weekend of memories you’ll never forget on April 25-27.