As spring Family Weekend approaches, students and their parents need to find fun events to keep them busy in Pullman.  

Elizabeth McManus, Brelsford WSU Visitor Center manager, said the center will be open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. to noon Sunday. 

The entire weekend, the visitor center will be holding a Cougar Gold cheese tasting featuring four different flavors of cheese, McManus said. 

Normally there is only one flavor being featured, but this year, Cougar Gold, Crimson Fire, Smoky Cheddar and Sweet Basil will all be featured, she said.

The visitor center will also be hosting a photo challenge, which is to find the five different senses around Pullman, McManus said. 

Visitors can come in and grab a starter bag, which contains pre-packaged snacks and a photo challenge card, she said. People then can take photos of them finding at least one item that falls into the five senses. 

“The idea is to get Cougs out into the Pullman community, out onto campus, give them some flexibility and freedom to explore areas they maybe haven’t before or enjoy the weekend at their own pace,” McManus said. 

The first hundred people to come back with photo or video proof of the items they found will win a prize, she said. The prize includes a visitor center bag containing items such as a Family Weekend T-shirt.

The visitor center will also have a photo booth set up for families to take pictures together, she said. 

Besides McManus, all of the staff at the visitor center are students, she said. 

“[This is] just a fun way to have them share with their fellow Cougs and families,” McManus said.

Ferdinand’s Supervisor Bill Prewett said the ice cream shop will be open from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday so families can enjoy a cool down before or after walking around campus.

Ferdinand’s has not opened for a Family Weekend since the pandemic started, so Prewett is expecting business to be very busy with lines out the door, he said.

He is looking forward to having people come to Ferdinand’s, especially because a lot of people will be setting foot on WSU ground for the first time, so they will be able to experience what Ferdinand’s is all about. 

The loading dock behind the store will be open from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday as well, where people can purchase boxes of Cougar Gold cheese, Prewett said. 

Airway Hills Golf Center is hosting a mini-golf tournament throughout the entire weekend, said Trent Goetze, owner and golf instructor. 

Tee times will be from 9 a.m until 7 p.m., Goetze said. There will be prizes for the winning team at the end of the weekend. 

Families will play best-ball, where the lowest score on each hole will be the score the team records for the prizes, he said. 

If a family wants to make a tee time for mini-golf, they can find the number on the WSU Family Weekend website, he said. 

The golf center is also hosting a golf simulator event, where families can come in and just play, he said. They have the option to compete, but can also show up to have fun if that is what they prefer. 

Goetze said families can call to make a tee time for the simulator as well, which are available from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. the entire weekend.

The simulator costs $45 per hour, while mini golf costs $12.50 per person, he said.