Family Weekend
Save the Date for Family Weekend 2022!
September 16-18, 2022
Family Weekend 2021 in the News
Take a Peek into Family Weekend!
Last Year's Schedule
Each year's schedule looks different at Family Weekend, but this will give you an idea of some of the events we host for you and your family to experience UC with your Bearcat!
Dining Centers
Visit any of UC's dining centers (Center Court, OTG, and Mick & Mack's) for a reduced rate of $6.99 per person or use your student's guest meal swipes!
Residence Halls
Say cheese! Visit your student's residence hall for a fun photo opportunity in the lobby!
7am-10pm
College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP) Self-Guided Audio Tour
College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning Building
The programs within DAAP are ranked among the very best in both a world and national class. During the self-guided tour, you’ll see labs, studios, and other spaces that help make DAAP a top-notch place to study. Enter DAAP using the entrances on the east or south sides of the DAAP complex. All you need is a smartphone to scan the QR code and get started. Log onto the university wifi. Headphones are recommended.
8am-11pm
UC Bookstore Open Hours
Tangeman University Center, 3rd Floor
Students save 15% on all in-store purchases of apparel, gifts and supplies at the UC Bookstores! Show your Bearcats Pride with the latest styles from the store with the largest selection of UC apparel & gifts! Discount valid in all five store locations: TUC, DAAP, Medical Center, UC Blue Ash, and UC Clermont. UC ID required at checkout. Excludes course materials, Apple products, computer hardware and software, gift cards and purchases at campus convenience stores. Show your Family Weekend wristband when you check out at the TUC store and receive a UC cooling towel or stemless acrylic wine glass with a $50 or more purchase, while supplies last.
12pm
Bearcat Bands Pep Rally
UC MainStreet outside TUC
Join us as the Bearcat Bands perform on UC MainStreet and get everyone excited for tonight's game!
2pm/4pm
Swimming & Diving vs. University of Notre Dame
Keating Aquatic Center
Cheer on the men's and women's swimming and diving teams as they take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish!
2-7:30pm
Family Weekend Check-In
Campus Green/Gridiron Tailgate
Rain location: Campus Recreation Center Breezeway
Check in to receive your wristband (your pass to weekend events) and Family Weekend t-shirt. Grab some freebies and win prizes!
2:30-4:30pm
Transition & Access Program (TAP) Learning Community & Family Social
Teachers-Dyer Hall/Courtyard
Rain location: Teachers-Dyer Room 407
Family members of students participating in UC's TAP program are invited to join their Bearcat for family social fun followed by their weekly learning community session.
3-5pm
Discover Your Bearcat's Resources
Various Locations
You're invited to visit campus offices and resources to learn more about support and engagement opportunities for your student.
- Accessibility Resources Student Success Services (2nd floor lobby, University Pavilion)
- African American Cultural & Resource Center (60 W. Charlton St.)
- Bearcats Promise Career Studio (TUC 310, adjacent to PNC Bank)
- Fraternity & Sorority Life (Stratford Heights, Building 16, Suite 001)
- LGBTQ Center (Steger 565)
- OneStop - Bursar, Financial Aid, Registrar (University Pavilion, 2nd Floor)
3:30-7:30pm
GRIDiron Tailgate and Fan Zone
Campus Green
Find us on the "GRID" for check-in, giveaways, and more. Music, marching band, the CATwalk, food for purchase, and more prior to kickoff.
4-5pm
Tailgate with the Resident Education & Development (RED) Staff
Various Locations
Meet your student's residence hall community coordinators and student staff in their campus neighborhood! Grab some goodies, have fun, and learn more about campus living!
- Popcorn and crafts with North Location staff (Outside Morgens and Scioto)
- Snacks and yard games with Central Location staff (Dabney Circle)
- Kona ice and cornhole with South Location (Outside Stratford Heights Building 16)
Rain Location for all the above will be the Campus Recreation Center outdoor breezeway.
5:30-7:30pm
Pizza & Games Tailgate with CECH! (College of Education, Criminal Justice, Human Services, and Information Technology)
Teachers/Dyer Courtyard
Rain location: Teachers-Dyer, Room 407 (Annie Laws Room)
Students (and their families!) in the College of Education, Criminal Justice, Human Services, and Information Technology are invited to join college staff and faculty for pizza and games before kick-off!
RSVP, if possible. Walk-ins will be accepted at the event, space permitting.
7pm
UC Football vs. Temple University*
Nippert Stadium
This event is currently sold out.
Cheer on the Bearcats as they take on the Temple Owls! Discounted tickets purchased separately through UC Athletics. Purchase tickets from GoBearcats. Enter promo code UCFAMILY2021. Discount tickets for families range from $15-25 depending on selected seats.
8pm
Movie Night: "Black Panther"
Tangeman University Center, Cinema (Level 2 near the Food Court)
If you're not going to the game, join us for a movie in the TUC Cinema. Free popcorn and bottled water distributed by UC MainStreet.
Fun fact: Black Panthers' Academy Award-winning Production Designer Hannah Beachler is a UC DAAP alum.
7am-10pm
College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP) Self-Guided Audio Tour
College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning Building
The programs within DAAP are ranked among the very best in both a world and national class. During the self-guided tour, you’ll see labs, studios, and other spaces that help make DAAP a top-notch place to study. Enter DAAP using the entrances on the east or south sides of the DAAP complex. All you need is a smartphone to scan the QR code and get started. Log onto the university wifi. Headphones are recommended.
8am-8pm
Family Weekend Hospitality Suite Open
Steger 630
Stop by, ask questions, grab water or snacks, and take a bathroom break!
9am-12pm
Family Weekend Check-In
Schneider Quad
Rain location: Zimmer Hall lobby
Check in to receive your wristband (your pass to weekend events) and Family Weekend t-shirt. Grab some freebies and win prizes!
9-11am
Donuts with the Deans
Schneider Quad
Rain location: Zimmer Hall lobby
Enjoy Cincinnati's favorite donuts and learn about how the Dean of Students Office supports your Bearcat!
9am-12pm
Family Fun Day
Schneider Quad
Rain location: Zimmer Hall lobby and various classrooms
Don't miss this signature Family Weekend event! All kinds of fun and activities for family members of all ages, including life-size games, caricatures, tie-dye, rock painting, sidewalk chalk, henna tattoos, prizes, and more!
- Henna tattoos and stickers provided by United Asian Advocates.
- Prizes and giveaways provided by UC's Money Management team.
- Bottled water provided by PNC Bank.
9-11am
CEAS Fall Fest
Zimmer Rooftop
Rain location: Zimmer Hall classrooms
The College for Engineering and Applied Science (CEAS) Tribunal presents a showcase of student organizations, fun activities, informational booths, and demos of student projects! Students and families from all colleges welcome!
10-11am
Lawn Games Tournament
Schneider Quad
Rain location: Zimmer Hall lobby
Does your family have what it takes to win the UC Family Cup? Earn points to win big prizes!
10am-12pm
Coffee & Pastries with Fraternity & Sorority Life
Stratford Heights, Building 16 (Lower Level)
Join Fraternity & Sorority Life staff and student leaders for coffee and pastries and learn more about how we support students in the fraternity and sorority community. This event is open to families of current, new, and prospective community members.
10am-12pm
1st Generation Student Family Social
Mews Gardens (between Baldwin Hall and Steger Student Life Center)
Rain location: Swift Hall, Room 608
First generation students and their families are invited to a family social! Join us for light refreshments and activities. Meet UC staff and fellow first generation students and their families.
10am-4pm
UC Bookstore Open Hours
Tangeman University Center, 3rd Floor
Students save 15% on all in-store purchases of apparel, gifts and supplies at the UC Bookstores! Show your Bearcats Pride with the latest styles from the store with the largest selection of UC apparel & gifts! Discount valid in all five store locations: TUC, DAAP, Medical Center, UC Blue Ash, and UC Clermont. UC ID required at checkout. Excludes course materials, Apple products, computer hardware and software, gift cards and purchases at campus convenience stores. Show your Family Weekend wristband when you check out at the TUC store and receive a UC cooling towel or stemless acrylic wine glass with a $50 or more purchase, while supplies last
12pm
Chef's Table*
Center Court Dining Center
Visit Center Court for lunch to meet UC campus chefs and enjoy a special "Chef's Table" dish offered exclusively for Family Weekend. $6.99 at the door or use your student's guest meal swipes.
1-2:30pm
Painting with a Twist: UC-Themed Painting (Session 1)*
CRC Hall Room 3200
This event is currently sold out. Please contact our office at families@uc.edu to join a waitlist. We will contact you if space should become available.
Soul Palette art coaches will guide you in creating your UC-themed canvas masterpiece! Advance ticket purchase required. Select Painting with a Twist Session 1 add-on (one ticket per guest) when registering for Family Weekend. $20 per person. Space is limited.
1-3pm
Student Wellness Center Open House
Steger 480 (Just off UC MainStreet)
Get a sneak peek at the brand new, state-of-the-art Student Wellness Center on UC MainStreet! Grab some wellness products, meet the staff, and discover how UC supports your student's wellbeing.
1-3pm
Black Family Welcome
AACRC (60 W. Charlton St.)
Habari Gani! Join us at the African American Cultural & Resource Center (AACRC) to meet the center staff, enjoy light refreshments, connect with other families, and explore the AACRC! From the Trailblazer Wall to the student lounge, discover why the AACRC is a treasured community and educational space at UC. All are welcome!
2-4pm
Coffee & Tea with the LGBTQ Center
Mews Gardens (between Baldwin Hall and Steger Student Life Center)
Rain location: LGBTQ Center (565 Steger)
Join us for a student and family social with LGBTQ Center staff. Make some new connections and learn about the center! Coffee and tea will be served.
3-4pm
College of Arts & Sciences/Exploratory Student Welcome & Social
AACRC (60 W. Charlton St.)
Meet our new college dean, Dr. Margaret Hanson, Exploratory Advisor Raven Flanigan, and Associate Director of Advising Heather Kilgore. Ask questions, enjoy light refreshments, and learn how to best support your Bearcat's success, help them find the best fit for a major, and how to partner with advisors to maximize academic success. Exploratory students and College of Arts & Sciences students (and their family members) are welcome!
3-4:30pm
Painting with a Twist: UC-Themed Painting (Session 2)*
CRC Hall Room 3220
This event is currently sold out. Please contact our office at families@uc.edu to join a waitlist. We will contact you if space should become available.
Soul Palette art coaches will guide you in creating your UC-themed canvas masterpiece! Advance ticket purchase required. Select Painting with a Twist Session 2 add-on (one ticket per guest) when registering for Family Weekend. $20 per person. Space is limited.
4-6pm
Photo Scavenger Hunts
Meet at Schneider Quad to Begin
Rain location: Meet at covered breezeway between Swift Hall and Steger Student Life Center
Select from several scavenger hunt options -- or do them all! Find and visit designated spots around UC! Photograph your family with each spot to win prizes! Complete the UC landmarks scavenger hunt to receive a t-shirt! Complete the Hero Bearcat statue scavenger hunt to receive a limited-edition miniature Hero Bearcat replica, while supplies last!
5pm
Chef's Table*
Center Court Dining Center
Visit Center Court for dinner to meet UC campus chefs and enjoy a special "Chef's Table" dish offered exclusively for Family Weekend. $6.99 at the door or use your student's guest meal swipes.
5-6:30pm
Painting with a Twist: UC-Themed Painting (Session 3)*
This event is currently sold out. Please contact our office at families@uc.edu to join a waitlist. We will contact you if space should become available.
CRC Hall Room 3200
Soul Palette art coaches will guide you in creating your UC-themed canvas masterpiece! Advance ticket purchase required. Select Painting with a Twist Session 3 add-on (one ticket per guest) when registering for Family Weekend. $20 per person. Space is limited.
8pm
Bearcats Movie Night at Nippert: "Cruella"
Nippert Stadium
"Cruella" follows the early days of one of cinema's most notorious - and notoriously fashionable - villains! Be sure to bring your blanket to curl up for movie night in Nippert Stadium! Blankets also will be on sale in the UC Bookstore.
Movie night sponsored by UC's Resident Education & Development. Free popcorn sponsored by UC Dining Services. Drinks and additional food items available for purchase from stadium concessions.
7am-10pm
College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP) Self-Guided Audio Tour
College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning Building
The programs within DAAP are ranked among the very best in both a world and national class. During the self-guided tour, you’ll see labs, studios, and other spaces that help make DAAP a top-notch place to study. Enter DAAP using the entrances on the east or south sides of the DAAP complex. All you need is a smartphone to scan the QR code and get started. Log onto the university wifi. Headphones are recommended.
8am
Fun Run on the "Bearcats Dash & Bash" 5k Course
Meet on Lower UC MainStreet by Lindner College of Business Patio
This event will be conducted rain or shine. It will be canceled in the event of lightning or thunder.
Join UC staff to walk, run, or dash the 5k course. Note: UC's signature annual race is not being held this year, but you can still hit the pavement with us on this popular route! Course guides will be available to accommodate a variety of paces. All are welcome! T-shirts for each participant while supplies last. Medals distributed to finishers in the order of run completion while supplies last.
9-11am
Family Weekend Hospitality Suite Open
Steger 630
Stop by, ask questions, grab water and snacks, and take a bathroom break.
9am-12pm
Jazz Brunch Riverboat Cruise*
BB Riverboats (101 Riverboat Row, Newport, KY 41071)
This event is currently sold out. Please contact our office at families@uc.edu to join a waitlist. We will contact you if space should become available.
A Family Weekend tradition! Join us for live jazz, brunch, and breathtaking views of Cincinnati from the River Queen! Advance ticket purchase required. Select the Riverboat Cruise add-on (one ticket per guest) when registering for Family Weekend. $48 per person. Space is limited. Riverboat guests will not need tickets. This event is held rain or shine.
9:15am or 11am
Wesley House United Methodist Campus Ministry Morning Worship
Facebook Live (9:15am)
Clifton United Methodist Church - 3416 Clifton Avenue (11am)
In-person worship (masks required) followed by fellowship on the church lawn.
10am-5pm
Visit the DAAP Galleries!
Meyers Gallery (Steger Student Life Center Suite 2801)
Visit the Meyers Gallery, accessible from UC MainStreet, to view the MSA DAAP Student Sculpture Exhibition.
Reed Gallery (College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning Suite 5275)
Visit the Reed Gallery in the DAAP Building for MSA SELECT: Interdisciplinary Sculpture, juried by artist Jean Shin and in conjunction with the MSA: Interdisciplinary Sculpture Conference 2021. The Mid-South Sculpture Alliance (MSA) is an affiliate organization of the International Sculpture Center (ISC). The MSA is a non-profit that seeks to advance the creation and awareness of sculpture in its many and varied forms, to promote a supportive environment for sculpture and sculptors, and to create opportunities for its members through exhibition, education, and networking events centered on traditional and contemporary approaches to sculpture. It seeks to advance the understanding that sculpture educates, affects social change, and engages artists, art professionals, and the community in dialogue. Juror Jean Shin is recognized for her monumental installations, where she transforms large accumulations of everyday objects into expressions of identity and community engagement. Shin’s innovative work has been widely exhibited in over 150 major museums and cultural institutions, including solo exhibitions at The Museum of Modern Art in New York, The Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington DC, and The Asian Art Museum in San Francisco among others. Her works have been featured in many publications, including The New York Times, Art in America, Sculpture Magazine, ArtNews, Hyperallergic, and Brooklyn Rail. Born in Seoul, South Korea, Shin is a tenured Adjunct Professor at the Pratt Institute and recipient of the Alumni Achievement Award.
10:30am
H2O Church - Sunday Service
Lindner Center Room 450
Families and students are invited to join H20 Church for sunday services.
1pm
Family Weekend @ Paul Brown Stadium: Cincinnati Bengals vs. Green Bay Packers
Paul Brown Stadium
Watch the Cincinnati Bengals take on the Green Bay Packers with an exclusive Family Weekend discount. Tickets prices vary and are available while supplies last. Purchase your tickets.
1pm
Volleyball vs. Temple University
Fifth Third Arena
Cheer on the Bearcats as they take on the Temple Owls! Learn more about UC Volleyball.
All Weekend
Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden (3400 Vine St.)
Enjoy DISCOUNTED tickets to the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden just for guests of UC Family Weekend! Don't miss your chance to meet Cincy's most famous animals -- Lucille the Bearcat and Fiona the Hippo. Purchase tickets ($13 adults, $7.50 children/seniors). Parking is not included. Discount tickets can be redeemed anytime October 8-10.
ArtWorks Murals Self-Guided Tour (Various Locations)
Take a walk (or ride the streetcar) and enjoy over 180 public art installations around the city. With over 40 in the downtown area alone, this is a great place to start your masterpiece tour. View the map of murals here. ArtWorks provides a public art program that enriches our region while providing job opportunities to youth apprentices and professional artists.
Friday, October 8
Dierks Bentley Concert (7pm, Riverbend Music Center)
The multi-Platinum singer/songwriter hits the stage at Cincinnati's outdoor music pavilion with special guest Riley Green. Reserved seating, General admission pit, and lawn seating available.
Saturday, October 9
Asian Food Fest (Various Times, Court Street Plaza)
Asian Food Fest celebrates the culture, cuisine, drinks, and entertainment of Asian communities, including Cambodia, China, Hawaii, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. This is free, public event is hosted by Kroger in partnership with the Cincinnati Chamber and Asian American Cultural Assocation of Cincinnati.
Dashboard Confessional Concert (6:30pm, Bogart's)
Check Dashboard Confessional's Unplugged Tour 2021 with Into It. Over It. and Armon Jay at Bogart's, UC's closest music venue and popular spot for students. Known for their emo style and song lyrics, American rock band Dashboard Confessional celebrated it's 20th Anniversary in 2020.
"The West End" (7:30pm, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park)
It's 1941 in Cincinnati's West End, and African Americans are migrating from the Deep South to forge new lives. At the same time, German residents face growing hostility on the brink of World War II, and Grace houses people of both backgrounds in her row house. But when a stranger arrives, she must confront her secret past. This world premiere drama by Cincinnati native Keith Josef Adkins shines a light on a transformative chapter of our city's history. Get tickets!
"Remembering James Brown: The Life and Music of James Brown" (7:30pm, Aronoff Center for the Arts)
This spectacular musical production will make you laugh, dance, sing, and most of all, remember music icon James Brown. 2020 Broadway World Award-winner Dedrick Weathersby stars in the title role telling the story of the Godfather of Soul. You'll see how a divided country, the growing Civil Rights movement, and the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. shaped the artist's work. An eight-piece band accompanies the show. Get tickets!
Sunday, October 10
Asian Food Fest (Various Times, Court Street Plaza)
Asian Food Fest celebrates the culture, cuisine, drinks, and entertainment of Asian communities, including Cambodia, China, Hawaii, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. This is free, public event is hosted by Kroger in partnership with the Cincinnati Chamber and Asian American Cultural Assocation of Cincinnati.