Family Weekend FAQs

Any questions you have that are not listed below can be emailed to families@ithaca.edu.

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 the welcome reception (those 21+ years old will receive one free drink ticket) and anything you wanted to spend at the IC dining locations or Campus Store.

A full, free catered lunch will be provided to Family Weekend participants on Saturday, Nov. 4. Snacks and/or desserts will be served at several Family Weekend events (look for the starred [*] events on the Schedule of Events page).

Otherwise, you are welcome to eat at any of our on-campus dining locations or visit the plethora of downtown eateries.

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.

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

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

Unfortunately, dogs 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.

Questions?

Contact New Student & Transition Programs at