Arkansas Tech University will host the annual Family Day Saturday. The Division of Student Services including Student Activities Board, Student Government A ssociation, Residence Hall Association, and the Tech Foundation and Alumni Association are sponsoring the special event. It will be held Saturday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Plaza adjacent to Thone Stadium leading up to the kickoff of the Gulf South Conference football game against University of
Arkansas-Monticello.

This year, the grand show will be the free concert featuring British Export. For all the Beatles fans out there, British Export is the award winning Beatles tribute band from Chicago, Ill. It is the only tribute band to win the Beatlesfest “Battle of the Bands” over 100 other bands, three times in two different cities (New York and Chicago). British Export has also performed on the same stage as the Beatles at the Cavern Club in Liverpool, London, and many more places. The band will perform many well known favorites like “Can’t Buy Me Love,” “Twist and Shout,” and “I Saw Her Standing There.” The concert will begin at 4 p.m. "What’s exciting about British Export is that they’re the ‘hot’ item right now because of Guitar Hero had just came out with the Beatles. The Beatles have also remastered all their albums. So, this is the time where the band is in the news and the popular thing right now.” said Luke Heffley, Parent Relations coordinator, “British Export also is very crowd interactive. So, they like to get the crowd going with ‘Twist and Shout’. They walk amongst the crowd and will take pictures and talk in a British accent. It makes anyone who remembers them think they are at a real Beatles concert.”

Parents, students, and the community can also take advantage of other activities. There will be a family cookout at 3 p.m. which includes free hot dogs and drinks. Cotton candy and sno-cones are also free. Children of all ages can enjoy face painting and large inflatables. Tech merchandise comes with a 15 percent discount at the Tech Bookstore. A Family Day coupon is available for half priced football tickets. Last, the final event is the football game. Kickoff is at 6 p.m. in Thone Stadium at Buerkle Field.

" Family Day will be very fun for the students. It is the opportunity to bring their parents back. A lot of times this is the first time the parents have been back since move-in day. Also, I want to remind everyone attending to bring blankets and lawn chairs for the concert. I want to thank Pete Kelly, the organizations sponsoring the event, and the students who will be helping out with Family Day. We appreciate how much the students do. The students are what make it such a fun event. It’s going to be fun, and I’m looking forward to it," said Heffley.

Family Day dates back to 1924 when Tech hosted what was then called Dad’s Day. At the time, it was believed that Mississippi A & M was the only school to have held one previously. The first Dad’s Day highlighted the school’s livestock. Two years later, Dad’s Day featured prizes awarded to the fathers present who had the largest head, baldest head, largest waist line and largest hands. Prizes were awarded also to the oldest and youngest father in attendance and the father who traveled the most miles to attend.

In 1936, Caraway Hall was dedicated during Dad’s Day activities.
During World War II, Dad’s Day was suspended until 1945. Then, in 1947, it was combined for the only time with homecoming.

In 1966, the Tech administration decided not to schedule a football game in conjunction with Dad’s Day. The results convinced the administration to drop the experiment because football has been a key part of the activities ever since.

It was during the 1960s that the event’s name was changes to Parent’s Day and eventually became known at Family Day.

In 2007, Baswell Hall was dedicated during Family Day activities.