Family Weekend: October 17-19, 2025
Please check back periodically for updates on more events taking place on-campus during Family Weekend!
If you have questions, email [email protected] or call (703) 993-2475.
Online registration for Family Weekend will open soon!
2025 Schedule of Events
| Event Title | Location | Time (ET) | Description | Virtual Option Available | Additional Cost? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Weekend Check-In | Johnson Center, Dewberry Lobby | 3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. | Check-in and get your Family Weekend Pass to enjoy all the events of the weekend! | No | N/A |
| Family Weekend Welcome Ceremony | Johnson Center, Dewberry Hall | 4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. | Join us for the official kick-off welcome for the 2025 Family Weekend!! | No | No |
| Faculty Spotlight | Johnson Center, Dewberry Hall | 5:30 p.m. – 6:45 p.m. | Hear from a faculty member at George Mason and learn more about their research! | No | No |
| Mason Madness | EagleBank Arena | 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. | Make EagleBank Arena rock by kicking off our Basketball season with opportunities to win prizes! | No | No |
| Event Title | Location | Time (ET) | Description | Virtual Option Available | Additional Cost? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family Weekend Check-In | The HUB, Side Pocket | 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. | If you didn’t checkin Friday, check-in Saturday and get your Family Weekend Wristband to enjoy all the events of the weekend! | No | N/A |
| Mason Nation Thriving Together 5K | Fairfax Campus | 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. | Interested in participating in our annual 5K or 1-mile walk/run to help fundraise for a special cause here at Mason? Participate in the annual Mason Nation Thriving Together 5K! | No | Yes |
| Mason Families Give Back | Fairfax Campus | 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. | Give back to the Mason community by participating in a variety of service activities hosted by campus and community partners! | No | No |
| Great Falls Hike – Morning Tour | The HUB, 3rd Floor Lobby | 8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Buses to leave promptly at 8:45 | Join us and Outdoor Adventures for a beautiful fall hike at the incredible Great Falls. Hike along the Potomac with your family and enjoy some beautiful views along with it. | No | Yes |
| Historic Fairfax Bus Tour – Morning Tour | The HUB, 3rd Floor Lobby | 8:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Buses to leave promptly at 8:45 | Join us for our historic Fairfax Bus Tour led by a historical tour guide to the Fairfax Historic Courthouse, Fairfax Museum, and Historic Blenheim Estate! | No | Yes |
| Washington, D.C. Bus Tour | The HUB, 3rd Floor Lobby | 8:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Buses to leave promptly at 8:45 | Join us as we travel to Washington, D.C. and visit the museums in our nation’s Capital! | No | Yes |
| Lunch Event | Merten Hall Lawn | 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. | Enjoy lunch, games, music, and the chance to meet our Parent and Family Council! | No | No |
| Mason Family Blood Drive with INOVA | TBD | 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. | Give back by donating blood at the INOVA Blood Drive! | No | No |
| Great Falls Hike – Afternoon Tour | The HUB, 3rd Floor Lobby | 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Buses to leave promptly at 1:15 p.m. | Join us and Outdoor Adventures for a beautiful fall hike at the incredible Great Falls. Hike along the Potomac with your family and enjoy some beautiful views along with it. | No | Yes |
| Historic Fairfax Bus Tour – Afternoon Tour | The HUB, 3rd Floor Lobby | 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Buses to leave promptly at 1:15 p.m. | Join us for our historic Fairfax Bus Tour led by a historical tour guide to the Fairfax Historic Courthouse, Fairfax Museum, and Historic Blenheim Estate! | No | Yes |
| Faculty Spotlight | Johnson Center, Dewberry Hall | 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. | Hear from a faculty member at George Mason and learn more about their research! | No | No |
| Mason’s Got Talent: Student Performance Showcase | Johnson Center, Dewberry Hall | 4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. | Enjoy an evening full of live performances from Mason students! | No | Yes |
| Mason by Moonlight | Johnson Center, South Plaza | 7:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. | Enjoy campus at night time while getting to learn more about performing arts and engineering at George Mason! | No | No |
| Event Title | Location | Time (ET) | Description | Virtual Option Available | Additional Cost? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stay Connected: Breakfast and Bingo | Johnson Center, Dewberry Hall | 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Enjoy breakfast on your final day of Family Weekend with opportunities to win prizes and learn how to stay involved in the Mason community post Family Weekend. | No | Yes |
Frequently Asked Questions
General
What is Family Weekend?Since 2003, Mason has welcomed students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents, families and chosen families, and supporters to campus for Family Weekend. At Mason, we believe family is made up of many different people – parents, siblings, cousins, roommates, classmates, best friends, significant others, children, and more. Family Weekend is an opportunity to come together to connect, have fun, celebrate and make new memories, which is why our schedule includes events for people of all ages. Family Weekend features several events that showcase the best of Mason and all it has to offer, including a signature athletic event, faculty spotlights, student performances, bus tours, service opportunities, and much more!
Family Weekend is October 17th – 19th, 2025. Events begin Friday afternoon, so make plans to arrive early so you don’t miss out on the fun!
Pricing
How much does it cost to participate in Family Weekend?Mason student admission is FREE! Pricing for family members and guests has not yet been released for 2025.
We have different price points for adults, children (ages 5-12), children (ages 4 and under), and Mason students. Prices Listed in online registration form.
- Entrance to all on-campus Family Weekend activities (excludes Mason on Location area tours, Mason’s Got Talent, and Breakfast and Bingo that have additional ticket costs associated with them)
- Access to the 3 recreation facilities on the Fairfax campus, including group fitness classes
- Access to extra play hours at Corner Pocket
- Free parking on the Fairfax campus for the weekend
- Family Weekend T-shirt
- 1 Family Weekend mug per family
Three Mason on location area tours will be offered on Saturday, October 19th, 2025. For detailed pricing information, visit https://gmu.campusesp.com/
Yes! Arrive early to the bus tour check-in that you hope to attend. If there are open spots, we will be able to take Visa and Mastercard payments on-site.
Registration
How do I register for Family Weekend?Registration opens on Friday, June 27th, 2025 and closes on October, 3rd, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Only Visa and MasterCard are accepted. On-site (walk-in) registrations will also be accepted. Please note that the Mason on Location area tours fill up quickly and tickets are sold on a first-come, first-served basis.
The on-campus Family Weekend activities are free for Mason students, but they must register online in advance. You are also able to register them in your own registration by adding a “Mason Student Ticket” to your cart. If they want to attend a Mason on Location area tour, there is a cost.
Mason faculty/staff tickets can be purchased through the Mason Family Connection. Visit gmu.CampusESP.com, scroll to the bottom of the page, click “Are you faculty? Log in here” and sign in with your Mason credentials. For more detailed pricing information, visit the FAQs above.
Yes! You can log back in any time before Family Weekend registration closes on October 3rd, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time to make changes to your registration. Once registration closes, you will no longer be able to make changes to your registration. Please note that Family Weekend fees are non-refundable.
All Family Weekend fees are non-refundable.
Yes! We will be completing walk-in registrations and can accept Visa or Mastercard payments.
There is an accommodation question on the Family Weekend registration form. Please mark the type of accommodation you are requesting, provide specific details in the open text box, and we will do our best to meet your needs.
Visiting Campus
Where can I find information about COVID protocols?All campus visitors are expected to follow the University’s public health and safety precautions and guidelines, as outlined on our Student Health Services website at https://shs.gmu.edu/services/covidservices/isolationguidance/
There are multiple ways to get to the Fairfax campus. Visit https://masonfamily.gmu.edu/where-to-stay/ for directions, entrance locations, and a campus map.
We encourage you to arrive on Friday so you can enjoy the many welcome events planned for that day. Events are scheduled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, so we invite you to stay for the entire weekend! If you need overnight accommodations, take advantage of the discounted rates offered by our Marriott partner hotels in Fairfax by visiting https://masonfamily.gmu.edu/resources/where-to-stay/.
Lot K and the Rappahannock Parking Deck will be available to park in throughout the weekend. We will have staff and signage on site to direct you. A parking pass is required, and a digital copy will be provided in your Family Weekend registration emails. You also have the option to park in the other parking decks on campus at your own expense. If you have an ADA decal or license and display the Family Weekend parking pass, you can park in any ADA parking spot on campus throughout the weekend.
GMU is growing and construction is happening in and around our Fairfax campus. Keep up with the latest traffic news by visiting building.gmu.edu.
If you need overnight accommodations, take advantage of the discounted rates offered by our Marriott partner hotels in Fairfax by visiting https://masonfamily.gmu.edu/resources/where-to-stay/.
Check-In opens on Friday, October 17th at 3:00 – 7:00 p.m. in the Johnson Center, Dewberry Hall Lobby and will remain open until 7:00 p.m. Check-In will reopen on Saturday, October 18th at 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the HUB, 3rd Floor Lobby. Your Mason student may pick up your registration materials at any point during the Check-In period.
Check-In will reopen at 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 18th in the Johnson Center, Dewberry Lobby. Your Mason student may pick up your family’s registration materials for you at any point during the Check-In period.
Yes! All Mason students are welcome to attend Family Weekend events regardless of if their family is registered to attend. The on-campus Family Weekend activities are free for Mason students, but they must register online. If they want to attend a Mason On Location area tour or any of the other additional cost events, those would not be free.
Yes! If you and your family wish to attend Family Weekend but are not registered, we will be opening on-site walk-in registration during both our check-in times (Friday afternoon and Saturday morning). We accept Visa and Mastercard payments.
Events
Are there attendance limits for Family Weekend events?Yes, some of our on-campus activities and Mason on Location area tours will be limited. If tickets for a program you are interested in run out, you may arrive early to inquire about last-minute open spots or a waitlist. Additionally, view our activity guides on our Mason Family Website to see what else there is to do in the area.
When your party was registered for Family Weekend, you were able to purchase tickets to events until they hit capacity. The list of events you are pre-registered for can be found in your confirmation email/receipt. If you pre-registered for an event such as Mason’s Got Talent, Breakfast and Bingo, or one of the Mason On Location Tours, that simply means that you and your family are guaranteed admission. There may be extra tickets to these specific events available for purchase on the day of. Either way, other events are open events for you and your family to enjoy!
If your family is not pre-registered for one of the ticketed events, you may still show up. Those present who were able to pre-register will be admitted first and everyone else will be placed on a waitlist as our staff manages event capacity. You are not guaranteed admission for an event that you did not pre-register for, as the waitlist admission will be on a first-come, first-served basis. We will take payment on-site for these events.
Yes! All events that do not indicate an additional ticket purchase are open and do not require you to pre-register.
Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. Friday, October 17th, 2025 at EagleBank Arena, and Mason Madness will begin at 7 p.m.
EagleBank Arena is committed to the well-being of fans, guests, employees, players, and performers. Please review the new health and safety protocols prior to your first visit to the arena at www.eaglebankarena.com.
Accessibility
Is there accessible parking?Yes. If you display your Family Weekend Parking Pass AND ADA parking decal/tag/plate, you can park in ANY accessible parking spot on campus during Family Weekend.
Yes. Visit https://www.eaglebankarena.com/article/accessible-seating for information on accessible services at EagleBank Arena.
The New Student and Family Programs team is hard at work and can be reached Monday-Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern Time. If your family has a question or needs assistance, reach out to us via email at [email protected], phone at (703) 993-2475, or our live chat at MasonFamily.gmu.edu.