Family Weekend is October 24-26, 2025!

Family Weekend offers an array of opportunities to amp up your Hawkeye Pride and connect with your student's experience on campus. 

While this year's program schedule will be released in September, programming will begin midday Friday, October 24, and conclude midday Sunday, October 26. This year, we are also excited to partner with Big Grove, a brewery just a few minutes off-campus to offer a pre-Family Weekend social on the evening of Thursday, October 23. 

Questions about Family Weekend? Email ui-parents@uiowa.edu or call 319-335-3557. 

Family Weekend Registration

Online registration will be open Monday, June 9, 2025, through Monday, October 6, 2025. An overview of events and weekend schedule will be posted on our website as well as emailed to all registered families early September. 

 Register here

There is a flat $50 registration fee, regardless of how many family members attend. The registration fee includes:

  • Access to Family Weekend events
    • Entry to events will be restricted to those who have the Hawkeye Family name badge
    • While there are some events that require a separate purchase of tickets to attend, many of our events during the weekend are free to attend and included within your registration!
      • Ticketed events not covered by your registration fee include (but not limited to): the Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Minnesota Gophers home football game, exclusive Sunday brunch experience at Big Grove Brewery in Iowa City, the Iowa women's volleyball games, and haunted tractor rides at Wilson's Orchard.
  • An exclusive Iowa Family Weekend gift
  • A discount card, redeemable at various downtown Iowa City shops and restaurants
  • Three tickets to enjoy a meal on-campus with your student
    • If you have additional guests, add-on tickets are available for purchase within registration
  • Register before July 1, 2025, to receive early access to football game ticket purchasing
    • Home game Saturday, October 25, against the Minnesota Gophers. Game time TBD
    • Early access to purchase does not guarantee you'll be able to secure tickets as there is a limited quantity available, sold on a first come, first served basis. Once Athletics sells out, families are encouraged to explore third party vendors and alternative resale options

Family Weekend Schedule

Thursday, October 23

Live Music on the Farm (J. Knight) – 5:00–9:00 p.m. CST

Iowa Women’s Field Hockey vs. Michigan State – 6:00–8:00 p.m. CST

  • Grant Field
  • Free to attend. Fan Appreciation Night

Pre-Family Weekend Social – 6:30–8:30 p.m. CST (LC)

  • Big Grove Brewery Iowa City
  • Appetizers and soft drinks provided. Full food and drink menu available to purchase on your own
  • Advance RSVP encouraged. RSVP form sent via email, once registered for Family Weekend

Kelsey Cook: The Happy Hour Tour – 9:30 p.m. CST ($)

Friday, October 24

Fall Festival & Check-In – 2:00–6:00 p.m. CST

  • International Ballroom, Iowa Memorial Union (IMU)
  • Tickets, swag bag, and Hawkeye Family/Family Weekend apparel pickup

Discover Your University Tours & College Open Houses – 2:00–4:30 p.m. CST

  • Various on-campus locations

Iowa Women’s Volleyball vs. Michigan State – 6:00–8:00 p.m. CST ($)

FilmScene in the Park: Frankenweenie – 7:00–9:30 p.m. CST

  • Chauncey Swan Park
  • Free to attend. Outdoor movie screening with concessions available

Haunted Tractor Ride – 7:00 p.m. CST ($)

Public Observing Night – 8:00–10:00 p.m. CST

  • Van Allen Observatory

An Evening with Magician & Mentalist Noah Sonie – 8:30–10:00 p.m. CST (LC)

  • Main Lounge, Iowa Memorial Union (IMU)
  • Doors open at 8:00 p.m. – early arrival encouraged

Hawkeye Trivia & Family Game Night – 8:30–10:00 p.m. CST (LC)

  • Hawkeye Room, Iowa Memorial Union (IMU)

Saturday, October 25

Iowa City Farmer’s Market – 7:30 a.m.–12:00 p.m. CST

  • Chauncey Swan Parking Ramp

Yoga Class – 8:00–9:00 a.m. CST (LC)

  • Campus Recreation & Wellness Center

Iowa Hawkeyes vs. Minnesota Gophers Football Game – Kickoff TBD ($)

  • Kinnick Stadium

Game Day Grab and Go Food – 3 hours before kickoff, TBD

Gameday Activities – Ongoing

  • Surrounding Kinnick Stadium/Melrose Avenue
  • Game watch locations: Field Day Brewery, Big Grove Brewery, Joe’s Place (and many other options downtown Iowa City/surrounding areas!)
  • More info here (will be updated closer to gameday) 

Hawkeye Village Tailgate Experience – Time TBD ($)

Rocky Horror Picture Show – 7:00 p.m. CST ($)

B-I-N-G-O! – 8:00–10:00 p.m. CST (LC)

  • Main Lounge, Iowa Memorial Union (IMU)
  • Doors open at 7:30 p.m. – early arrival encouraged

Fall Fun at Wilson’s Orchard – 9:00 a.m.– 9:00 p.m. CST ($)

Haunted Tractor Ride – 10:30 p.m. CST ($)

Sunday, October 26

Yoga Class – 8:00–9:00 a.m. CST (LC)

  • Campus Recreation & Wellness Center

Exclusive Sunday Brunch Experience – 9:00–10:00 a.m. & 10:30–11:30 a.m. CST ($)

  • Big Grove Brewery Iowa City
  • Two time options. Advance ticket purchase required. Ticket link sent via email, once registered for Family Weekend

Hawkeye Family Professional Photos – 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. CST

  • Pentacrest

Dance Marathon Brunch – 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. CST ($)

  • Main Lounge, Iowa Memorial Union (IMU)

  • Additional tickets available to purchase during Fall Festival and Check-In

Iowa Women’s Field Hockey vs. Michigan – 12:00–2:00 p.m. CST

  • Grant Field

  • Free to attend. Senior Day and regular season home finale

Iowa Women’s Volleyball vs. Rutgers – 2:00–4:00 p.m. CST ($)

Fall Fun at Wilson’s Orchard – 9:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m. CST ($)

Disney’s Moana Live-to-Film Concert – 6:00 p.m. CST ($)

  • Events marked with a dollar sign ($) require advance ticket purchase
  • Events marked with LC indicate limited capacity at the venue. Event entry honored on a first-come, first-served basis

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.