Stanford is welcoming thousands of parents, siblings, and loved ones to campus this Friday, Feb. 27, and Saturday, Feb. 28, for Family Weekend.

“Family Weekend is a long-standing Stanford tradition. It’s a chance for you to reconnect with your student, meet their friends, and get a sense of life on the Stanford campus,” wrote President Jonathan Levin in a message to students’ families.

More than 5,500 visitors are expected to attend this year’s event, the highest turnout since before the COVID-19 pandemic. Registration has closed and all programming is reserved for registered attendees and event staff. Family Weekend, which is organized by the Office of Special Events & Protocol, will take place rain or shine.

President Levin and Provost Jenny Martinez will kick off the weekend with a welcome event in Memorial Auditorium on Friday at 11 a.m. They’ll be joined by Vice Provost for Student Affairs Michele Rasmussen in a discussion moderated by seniors Ava Brown and Will Berriman. Seating will be limited, and the event will also be livestreamed at Hauck Auditorium and on the Family Weekend website.

At 12:30 p.m., Residential & Dining Enterprises (R&DE) will host families for lunch with their student in the dining halls. At 4 p.m., families are invited to meet resident fellows (RFs) and resident assistants (RAs) at receptions hosted in the lounges of various residences. Families will have an opportunity to meet their student’s resident director (RD), professional staff members who support the holistic well-being of Stanford undergraduates. Details are available online.

New programming this year includes Meet VPUE & VPSA drop-in hours, where families can meet Michele Rasmussen and Freeman-Thornton Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education James Hamilton, as well as their administrative staff members. The casual open-house event will take place on Friday at 3 p.m. in the Oak Lounge at Tresidder Memorial Union.

Saturday’s program includes a Resource Fair where families can connect with representatives from various campus units – including Academic Advising, the Financial Aid Office, Vaden Health Center, and Bing Overseas Studies Program – to learn about resources, services, and programs that enhance students’ Stanford experience. Families can also enjoy academic discussions led by Stanford faculty and researchers on topics including global democracy, artificial intelligence, wearable tech, ocean sustainability, and how Stanford Athletics is evolving to meet the needs of today’s scholar-athletes.

Family fun

On Saturday afternoon, families can compete for gift cards and Stanford swag in a student-hosted Triviapalooza at the Arbor, where student bands Marmalade and Hot Pocket Nepo Baby will be performing live.

Throughout the weekend, families can explore the Stanford campus and iconic destinations with self-guided tours that include Stanford’s gardens, athletic district, Huang Engineering Center, and more. Limited guided tours will occur at the Cantor Arts Center, Denning House, the O’Donohue Family Stanford Educational Farm, Memorial Church, and backstage of Frost Amphitheater, among other campus locales.

The Stanford Parents’ Club will host several social events throughout the weekend, including a pizza party Friday evening and a walk around the Stanford Dish. Other campus events taking place this weekend include Shabbat services followed by a Kosher Shabbat dinner on Friday, a comedy night performance on Saturday, and the third annual Young Choreographers Festival featuring ten student-choreographed works produced under the mentorship of TAPS faculty. Further details about these and other campus events are available on the Family Weekend website.

The final event of the weekend is the Cardinal Winter Showcase at Meyer Green and Canfield Court on Saturday at 3 p.m. All registered families are welcome to enjoy games, snacks, a photo booth, and student performances by Stanford Swingtime, Cardinal Calypso, Basmati Raaz, Mariachi de Cardenal de Stanford, Stanford Jump Rope, and others.

Registered attendees can download the Family Weekend mobile app for access to weekend schedules, event details and locations, maps and walking directions, and more. Information about check-in, parking and transportation, dining, lodging, and other logistics is available on the Family Weekend website.