FAQs

Family Weekend is a free event for our parents, family members, and other supporters of current IC students! The only costs associated with Family Weekend are the optional cash bar at Friday's Welcome Reception and anything you wanted to spend at the IC dining locations or Campus Store.

Registration for Family Weekend 2024 will open the week of September 30. Keep an eye out for an email invitation or check for the registration link here: https://www.ithaca.edu/families/family-weekend. 

• Snacks, drinks, and a cash bar will be available at Friday's Welcome Reception. 
• A full, free catered lunch will be provided to Family Weekend participants on Saturday, Nov. 2. 
• Otherwise, you are welcome to eat at any of our on-campus dining locations or visit the plethora of downtown eateries.

If you plan on attending on-campus Family Weekend events, we recommend bringing:

• Comfortable walking shoes
• Layers (from t-shirts to coats and hats) - it is autumn in Ithaca, it could be 75 and 35 degrees in the same day
• Refillable water bottles
• Easily portable snacks
• Umbrellas (if rain is in the forecast)
• Consider bringing homemade or local treats for your student

Parking is permitted in all lots with the exception of P lot, closest to the Peggy Ryan Williams (PRW) Center (unless you need ADA parking spots for visiting PRW specifically, then please use P lot). Parking passes are not required for Family Weekend. Click here to access an interactive campus map of IC, which includes parking lot locations (use the "Layers" button at the bottom of the screen).

Please note that emergency vehicles must have immediate access to all buildings at all times. Improperly parked vehicles present hardships for emergency response and pose a real threat to public safety. As such, the College must respond to traffic infractions that impede emergency access such as parking in fire lanes, loading docks, walkways, sidewalks, or other non-designated parking areas and spaces. In the interest of public safety, improperly parked vehicles may result in the vehicle being towed at the owner’s expense.

Note: For folks bringing Food Pantry donations to one of the check-in sessions, feel free to drop them off at the Phillips Hall entrance when you arrive, prior to finding parking in the nearby U, O, or S parking lots. Volunteers will be on-site to receive and help carry any donations you may have. Otherwise, you can bring them to the Info Desk at any time during Family Weekend.

You will receive a program booklet, name tag, and other materials at check-in. You can also drop off any donations for the Food Pantry or Student Emergency Relief Fund at any of the check-in locations: 

• Welcome Reception with the President, Cabinet, Staff, & Faculty, Emerson Suites, Campus Center, 4-7 p.m.
• Saturday Morning Arrival Check-In, Emerson Suites, Campus Center, 9:30-10:30 a.m.
• Campus Center Info Desk Check-in, Egbert Hall, Campus Center, available all weekend

We do ask that everyone checks in using one of these options, so we know how many guests we have on campus and can plan accordingly. Thank you! 

No, it's a build-your-own-weekend event! Choose whichever programs and activities you'd like, and go with or without your student.

Representatives from all five schools will be in attendance at the Family Weekend Welcome Reception on Friday, Nov. 1 from 4-7 p.m. in the Emerson Suites, Campus Center. 

Unfortunately, dogs and other pets are not allowed at Family Weekend unless they are approved service animals.

Yes! We need to collect registration information to help plan events, but you can technically register at any time before the event.