Register to attend Family Weekend Sept. 18 - 20, 2026!

Family Weekend offers an array of opportunities to amp up your Hawkeye Pride and connect with your student's experience on campus. The weekend is open to all supporters of our students -- parents, grandparents, siblings, family friends, all are welcome! 

Registration is required to attend and will be available Tuesday, June 9 and remain open until Friday, September 11. There is a $55.00 registration fee per family, not per guest. Registration fee waivers are eligible upon request for families of students with financial need as demonstrated by their financial aid package. 

Register before July 1 to receive early access to purchase tickets to the Iowa Hawkeyes home football game against the University of Northern Iowa Panthers. We expect this game to sell-out and registering early does not guarantee you will be able to secure football tickets. 

Full program schedule will be published in July so you can begin planning your weekend with us. In the meantime, we encourage all families to make lodging arrangements in advance due to increased demand. 

Register Here

To ensure you stay in the loop on all things Hawkeye Family, including updates about our upcoming Family Weekend, subscribe to our monthly Iowa Parent and Family News email. 

REGISTRATION FEE WAIVERS: If your student is eligible for a Federal Pell Grant or low-income (SAI of $0), your family may qualify for a fee waiver for Family Weekend. If you are eligible and want to apply, please email us at ui-parents@uiowa.edu with your student's HawkID and date of birth before registering. Those who register first, without the unique code, will not be able to be refunded. NOTE: the fee waiver only covers the base rate for Family Weekend. Families who wish to purchase tickets for any additional events will still pay for those tickets along with any additional costs associated with the weekend.

Family Weekend 2026 Schedule

Schedule coming soon.

Additional Opportunities

Exploring Iowa City

Make sure to visit downtown Iowa City on your visit to campus. Visit the Downtown Iowa City website for more information about events happening in Iowa City.

Campus Recreation Centers

Looking to utilize campus recreational facilities and equipment? Access passes can be purchased for $6 per person when completing your Family Weekend registration and will be picked up at check-in on Friday or Saturday. Pass can be used at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center, the Field House, and the Hawkeye Tennis and Recreation Center.

Exploring Outdoors Iowa

Looking to escape downtown Iowa City and explore scenic Iowa? Then check out two exciting University locations located about 15 minutes outside of Iowa City. The Macbride Nature Recreation Area (MNRA) is a 485-acre natural area that includes 14 trails all along Coralville Lake and Lake Macbride State Park. MNRA is also home to the Iowa Raptor Project and we encourage you to visit for a self-guided tour to explore their preservation efforts and to say hello to their 17 unreleasable birds of prey. 

Performing Arts at Iowa

Although our fall programming is focused on Iowa athletics and student traditions, we also know that you may want to attend one of the many performances happening on campus during Family Weekend. For a complete schedule of events during Family Weekend, check out the Performing Arts at Iowa calendar here. 

Campus Museums

Throughout the weekend, make sure to check out our Campus Museums.

  • UI Stanley Museum of Art Tour
    160 W Burlington St, Iowa City, IA 52242
    The University of Iowa Stanley Museum of Art welcomes families to discover and enjoy extraordinary works of art, explore new ideas, and cultivate new insights into history, culture, and the act of creation. Self-guided tour booklets and scavenger hunts are always available at the front desk; guided tours are also available when scheduled online (here) at least one month in advance. We hope you leave the Stanley with a sense of excitement and wonder, curious to learn more about art and culture. Open 10am-4:30pm Friday and Saturday, 12:00 pm-4:30pm Sunday
  • UI Museum of Natural History
    17 N Clinton St, Iowa City, IA 52242
    Explore the magical gallery spaces of a museum that has been part of the Hawkeye experience for more than 170 years. Journey through 500 million years of our state’s geological, cultural, and ecological history in Iowa Hall where you will meet our famous museum mascot, Rusty the Giant Sloth (#SelfieWithRusty), and find our gift shop. Next, make your way up to Bird and Mammal Halls to find the real hidden treasures including the Laysan Island Cyclorama and “the whale”. Be sure to follow the museums on IG to keep up with programming and special events for students and families @pentacrest.museums. Open 10am-5pm Friday and Saturday. Closed Sunday.
  • Old Capitol Museum
    17 N Clinton St, Iowa City, IA 52242
    The Golden Old Capitol is the heart of our beautiful campus in downtown Iowa City. The museum features history of our National Historic Landmark which served as Iowa's first state capitol from 1846-1857 and the University of Iowa's founding building. Be sure to visit the changing exhibits on the ground floor, too. A rite of passage for all Hawkeyes, a visit to the Old Capitol Museum is a must and a souvenir from our gift shop is a treat. Be sure to follow the museums on IG to keep up with programming and special events for students and families @pentacrest.museums. Open 10am-5pm Friday and Saturday. Closed Sunday.

Dining

For meals on your own, make sure to check out one of Iowa City’s vibrant restaurants, or you can check out one of our Market Places (Catlett, Burge, and Hillcrest) and IMU dining options. Registrants of Family Weekend can find a coupon in the program they received at check-in for lunch at one of our market places!

Places of Worship

There are many local places of worship near campus. Here are a few that have reached out and shared their service information: 

  • St. Paul's Lutheran Chapel - The Lutheran Curch - Missouri Synd

    404 E. Jefferson St., Iowa City, IA 

    Sunday services is at 9:00 AM

  • Newman Catholic Student Center

    104 E. Jefferson St., Iowa City, IA

    Sunday services at 9:00 AM and 11:00AM. Following both masses, there will be a free pancake breakfast with a free-will donation that benefits their weekly "Wake Up Wednesday" Brunch for students.