The weekend is finally here when tons of “lil’ sibs” will invade the Kent State campus.

Kent Interhall Council is hosting the annual Lil’ Sibs Weekend event that will include movies, crafts, games and fun. This event allows students to invite their siblings to spend Friday through Sunday morning on campus.

Many nights of brainstorming, planning and little sleep will soon be a thing of the past for KIC President Andy Sokolich and his board.

“My adviser, Leah Carothers, was most involved in helping me with the planning for the weekend, but I also created the Lil’ Sibs Committee of about 10 students to help with brainstorming and organizational tasks,” Sokolich said. “I started brainstorming before winter break, but the real planning started when I got back to school in January. I probably put a good 15 hours a week in, if not more.”

As of Wednesday, KIC had roughly 1,600 people registered for the event, which includes Kent State students and siblings combined.

“This is more than last year, but I’m not entirely sure how many from previous years,” Sokolich said. “I’d say that 1,600 is a good number and I’m very pleased with this response. People are still begging for late registrations.”

KIC normally has a $4,500 budget for Lil’ Sibs Weekend. However, with budget cuts, Sokolich had only $3,200 to spend. Even with the $1,300 cut, he is confident all the siblings will still have an enjoyable time.

Although some like to think the “lil’ sibs” come to see their big sibs, the truth is that they’re excited for all the games and activities, Sokolich said.

This year, Sokolich and his crew have given them plenty of options. There’s everything from bowling, a carnival, pajama parties and movies to tie dying, ice skating and a planetarium show. To look at the schedule of events, visit http://kic.kent.edu.

“A majority of the programming changes from year to year because we sometimes have siblings that come back all four years that their older sibling is in college,” Sokolich said. “One thing that doesn’t change is the inflatables. They were the most fun to pick out. I’m secretly hoping that there will be time for my executive board and other volunteers to play on them after the students and their siblings leave.”

Even with Friday calling for 70 percent chance of rain, Lil’ Sibs will go on rain or shine. Despite the possibility of inclement weather and hundreds of little kids running around, Sokolich and his team are ready.

“Of course I am terrified of the sheer number of kids that will be on campus, but I can handle that,” Sokolich said. “I’m pretty much past the nervous stage, and I’m really more excited than anything else now. I’ve put a lot of work into this and I truly feel like I have all my bases covered.”

Friday

• Planetarium Show, 6:30 p.m., Smith Hall
• Dive-in movie featuring “Despicable Me,” 8 p.m. Student Recreation and Wellness Center
• Late night movie “Tangled,” 11 p.m., Kiva

Saturday

• Inflatables, airbrush tattoos, photo booth, 12:30 p.m., Student Recreation and Wellness Center
• DP carnival, 10:30 a.m., Centennial Field
• Family Feud, 8:30 p.m., 137 Bowman Hall

Sunday

• Pancake breakfast, 9 a.m., Tri-Towers Rotunda
• Scavenger hunt, 11 a.m., Koonce Hall First Floor Lounge

Contact Kate Murphy at [email protected].