With clear skies and temperatures in the 50s, Nov. 1‒2 was “a perfect fall weekend,” noted  Harvard President Larry Bacow. And that was good news for the more than 2,500 family members who came to campus for the College’s annual First-Year Family Weekend.

“If you’re going to pick a weekend to come to Harvard, you picked the right one,” Bacow said.

Parents, grandparents, siblings, cousins, and others traveled from near and far to share what the Class of 2023 has experienced since they arrived on move-in day. Families visited classes, attended talks, and cheered on the Crimson as Harvard played Dartmouth. Even the Yard seemed prepared for the occasion, decorating itself in bright fall leaves.

One of the highlights was staged at Sanders Theatre, “Harvard Today” and “Words of Wisdom for Parents,” where Bacow was accompanied by the Danoff Dean of Harvard College Rakesh Khurana, faculty members, and the Immediate Gratification Players improv group.

Bacow discussed the recent Nobel Prize awards to Harvard faculty, the renovation of Lowell House, the new Harvard ArtLab, and the admissions case win that underscored that “diversity enriches the learning environment for everyone.”

Khurana welcomed families and joked that he wished he could have made it into Harvard College. A panel of faculty members responded to the improv group’s skits, which showed common interactions between new College students and their families, garnering lots of laughter from the audience.