Family Weekend

This is the first stop for all guests to begin their AFW experience. Pick up your name tags for the weekend, get your special AFW gift, and check out the fun engagement activities on site.

Join us for Deans’ Open Houses at GW’s respective schools to connect, meet faculty and staff, and learn more about the academic experience.

Athletics Open House | 9 - 11am, Charles E. Smith Center, Gate 1, 600 22nd Street, NW
Join GW Athletics during Alumni & Families Weekend for an exclusive Open House and Panel Discussion entitled "The Rapidly Evolving Landscape of College Athletics," featuring Associate Vice President and Director of Athletics Michael Lipitz and select guests.

College of Professional Studies (CPS) & Graduate School of Political Management (GSPM) Open House | 9:30 - 11am, CPS Dean's Suite, 3rd Floor, 805 21st Street, NW
The College of Professional Studies and Graduate School of Political Management invite you to join our open house for a unique opportunity to engage in meaningful conversations with the college's leadership, faculty, staff, and fellow alumni. Learn about CPS and GSPM’s many exciting initiatives while enjoying a delicious breakfast bar. We look forward to seeing you there!

Columbian College (CCAS) Open House | 9:30 - 11am, Gallery 102, 801 22nd Street, NW
Kick off Alumni & Family Weekend with Dean Paul Wahlbeck and the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences community at our annual Dean's Reception. Reconnect with fellow alumni, families, faculty, and friends while enjoying light refreshments, meaningful conversations, and hearing about the innovative teaching, research, and student experiences shaping the future of the college. Whether you're returning to campus for the first time in years or continuing a long standing tradition, we look forward to welcoming you back to Columbian College.

Elliott School (ESIA) Open House | 9:30 - 11am, 1957 E Street, NW
Join the Elliott School for an open house. Take a tour of the building, see the amazing views of D.C. from the City View Room, and get your photo taken with our dean, Dr. Alyssa Ayres. After the open house, stay for brief lectures by select Elliott School faculty as part of the Best of GW Faculty Lectures.

Graduate School of Education and Human Development (GSEHD) Open House | Please note: This event takes place from 2–3:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 17. Please check the schedule for full details.

GW Business (GWSB) Open House | 9:30 - 11am, Duquès Hall, 2201 G Street, NW
Join the GW School of Business for an open house in Duquès Hall. Hear welcome remarks from Dean Sevin Yeltekin, enjoy a light breakfast with coffee and refreshments, and connect with faculty and staff. Explore our classrooms, collaborative spaces, and community while learning more about the GW Business experience.

GW Engineering (SEAS) Open House | 9:30 - 11am, Science and Engineering Hall, 800 22nd Street, NW
You're invited to GW Engineering's open house at the Science and Engineering Hall. Enjoy a light breakfast while connecting with members of the GW Engineering community, hear remarks from Dean John Lach, and explore our state-of-the-art facilities on a guided tour. We look forward to welcoming you!

Milken Institute School of Public Health (GWSPH) Open House | 9:30 - 11am, Milken Institute School of Public Health, 950 New Hampshire Avenue, NW
We invite you to join GWSPH for an interactive exploration of the dynamic field of public health and our state of the art building and facilities. Connect with SPH leadership, faculty, staff, students and other school partners while enjoying a light breakfast spread.

Learn more about campus resources and the support structures in place to aid in your student’s success at GW! Rain site: Grand Ballroom, University Student Center, 800 21st Street, NW

Immerse yourself in the GW classroom experience at our Best of GW lectures. Join our world-renowned faculty for our most engaging, student-favorite lectures. We've got a fantastic lineup of lectures planned — topics will be posted online later this fall.

A conversation with GW's 19th President Ellen M. Granberg about the collaborations taking place across the university community and the changes at GW designed to enhance our institutional prominence.

Join us for a Grand Re-Opening of Mitchell Hall. All alumni, families, and friends are welcome. Enjoy the newly renovated space and be sure to check out the rooftop! 

Join us for an afternoon of connection and celebration at the Thurston Open House! Reconnect with old friends, meet current residents, and enjoy the stunning views from the Thurston Penthouse. There will be light refreshments, fun giveaways, and plenty of community spirit. All alumni, families, and friends are welcome—come see why Thurston still feels like home! 

Celebrate fall on GW’s beautiful Mount Vernon Campus with a traditional autumn festival hosted by the Division of Student Affairs. Enjoy games, pumpkin decorating, crafts, fall treats and more! Attendance is free, but registration is encouraged.

Parking and Buses for the Vern Harvest

• Parking in the Mount Vernon Campus Garage is free or you may ride the coach buses that are operating between 2 - 6pm on Saturday, October 17, to bring Alumni & Families Weekend attendees to the Vern Harvest. Coach buses will pick up and drop off from Foggy Bottom in front of Funger Hall. Coach buses will drop off and pick up at the Mount Vernon Campus on Whitehaven Pkwy (entrance to the Mount Vernon Campus).
• In addition, the Mount Vernon Express Shuttle (VEX) is running every 20 minutes in front of Tompkins Hall.  Attendees with mobility issues should use the VEX shuttle as they will be dropped off at the clocktower stop closer to the Vern Harvest event. 

Get ready for a night of big laughs with Janelle James, the five-time Emmy-nominated comedian, writer, and actress best known for her scene-stealing role as Principal Ava Coleman on ABC's Abbott Elementary! Join the Division for Student Affairs and GW Program Board as Janelle James takes the stage for GW’s annual Fall Comedy Show, one of the university’s favorite traditions. Open to students, families, and alumni, this is a Family Weekend event you won’t want to miss!

Current students must purchase their tickets online (student email needed for purchase). 

All other attendees can purchase tickets through the Alumni & Families Weekend registration page.

Doors open at 8 p.m. Please arrive early. The show begins promptly at 9 p.m., and all guests must be seated by then, as doors will close at showtime.

Wrap-up Alumni & Families Weekend with Vice Provost Colette Coleman, staff from the Division for Student Affairs,  and a jazz performance by GW students. Enjoy a delicious brunch buffet, mingle with other GW families, and wrap up the weekend with your GW student before heading home.  Tickets: Adults are $25 per person and children 12 and under are $15 per person. Capacity is limited to the first 500 people. Families are encouraged to register early.

Need a few more essentials for your student's room or apartment? Stop by the IKEA Pop-Up Shop during Alumni & Families Weekend to browse a selection of dorm and apartment favorites. Whether you're looking for storage solutions, organization essentials, or cozy touches, it's the perfect opportunity to pick up practical items while on campus.

More info coming soon!

District Connections trips are designed for incoming undergraduate students at George Washington University. District Connections offers students access to staff- and peer-led events around Washington, DC that allow them to forge connections with other GW students and learn more about our vibrant city.

During Alumni & Families Weekend, all students, families, and supporters are invited to join one of our GWxDC trips around town. The trips are free, but capacity is limited per trip. Families are encouraged to register early as trips will sell out. Guided trips will be using the Metro system to explore the area, just like our students do!

We will not have a waitlist, but if the trips fill up, we encourage you to come to the University Student Center at 12:30 pm just in case we have no shows that day.

12:30 - 4:00 pm Trips (50 participants per trip):

• Lincoln Memorial Undercroft Tour
• National Geographic Museum
• National Zoo
• O Street Mansion

Join us for an exciting finish to Alumni & Families Weekend as the GW Revolutionaries women's basketball team hosts Towson in this exhibition game.

Be among the first to see the Revolutionaries in action after last season's historic run to the WNIT Great Eight. Led by returning All-Atlantic 10 standout Gabby Reynolds alongside key returners Sara Lewis, Tanah Becker, Kamari Sims and Jaeda Wilson, plus an experienced transfer class, this year's team is ready to build on one of the program's most successful seasons in recent memory.