Registration is Open!
Registration is required and there is no fee to attend Family Weekend. One member of your family will be the primary registrant and will add your Dartmouth student and other family members attending as guests on the registration form.
Dartmouth ’27 and ’30 parents, supporters, and families:
Mark your calendars for Family Weekend, September 25–27, 2026! Events begin around noon Friday and end around noon Sunday.
First-year and graduating senior students and their family members are invited to campus for this special weekend featuring tours, faculty lectures, social activities, information sessions, a family cookout, and athletic events.
It's a good idea to make hotel reservations sooner, rather than later, since fall is a busy time in the Upper Valley. Check out the area accommodations section below for lodging options.
We look forward to welcoming you to campus!
Schedule of Events
Explore the preliminary schedule of events here! The schedule will continue to be updated with more details as we get closer to the weekend.
Area Accommodations
Fall in the Upper Valley is a busy time for visitors, so we encourage you to make a hotel reservation as soon as possible, if you haven’t done so already. There are no hotel blocks on hold for families for this special weekend. You may want to look for availability within an hour or so of Hanover in both New Hampshire and Vermont. Don’t forget to also check out Airbnb, Vrbo, Vacasa, Quechee Lakes rentals, Eastman Lake rentals, and bed-and-breakfasts.
Moosilauke Ravine Lodge, owned by Dartmouth and about an hour from Hanover, has blocked off some of their hostel-style rustic mountain accommodations for parents and families attending Family Weekend. Discounted rates are available for those for whom regular prices are cost prohibitive. Reservations are required. Please call (603) 646-6543 with questions and to make your reservation. Hearty breakfasts and family-style dinners are also offered at the Lodge—reservations required.
Things to Do and Places to Eat
Whether you’re exploring the campus, Hanover, or the entire Upper Valley this weekend, we’ve got your guide for where to go and what to eat. From Big Green athletics, hiking, apple picking, curling up with a book and a coffee, or enjoying a cruller at Lou’s Bakery, there’s something for the whole family on campus and beyond.
Area Dining and the Upper Valley Business Alliance
We planned the weekend with Friday and Saturday night dinners as free time so you can enjoy time with your student and other families. We suggest you make dinner reservations for both evenings as soon as possible.
The Upper Valley Business Alliance is a great resource for area restaurants.
The main on-campus dining location at the Class of 1953 Commons (aka FOCO) is open to families for dinner Friday and Saturday night from 4:00–8:30 p.m. and is a great option for those with food allergies or dietary restrictions. Students on a meal plan can use their guest passes, or families can pay at the door for an all-you-can-eat meal at discounted rates. Families are also welcome to enjoy the dining hall for breakfast and lunch.
Donate Food and Personal Care Items for Upper Valley Families in Need
Drop off your donated non-perishable food and personal care items at the Family Weekend check-in tables. The items will be donated to the Upper Valley Haven in White River Junction, which has been providing food relief and temporary shelter and educational programming for home-insecure and at-risk families and adults since 1980.
- Food items needed: canned chicken/tuna, peanut butter, macaroni & cheese, plain pasta sauce, canned fruit, white rice, hearty soups, crackers, cereal/oatmeal, jellies/jams
- Personal care items needed: full sized are most helpful: deodorant, razors, shampoo, toothpaste, bar soap, toothbrushes, diapers (sizes 5 and 6) and pull-ups
Attire Suggestions
Don’t forget to wear Dartmouth green to show your Dartmouth pride!
New England weather can be unpredictable this time of year, so be sure to check the weather forecast—function (including comfortable shoes) and not fashion is the key…and layers are always a wise choice.
Purchasing Tickets for Athletic Events
On Family Weekend, some of the athletic events being held require a ticket—the home football game, as well as men’s and women’s soccer games. The process of how to purchase tickets with a discount code for these events will be updated here in early-mid August.
Town of Hanover Parking
In Town of Hanover public spaces payment is required Monday-Saturday, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Sunday is free. The maximum time for meters varies between one hour and 10 hours depending on the location. There is a 10-hour lot behind the Irving Gas station on South Main Street and a municipal parking garage at 7 Lebanon Street.
Most meters in Hanover accept coins, credit, or a mobile payment app, ParkMobile.
- Download the ParkMobile App
- Create a ParkMobile account, if you don't already have one.
- Start a parking session. Alternatively, scan the QR code on the sign on your mobile device and follow payment instructions.
Additional Resources
Dartmouth Campus Parking
Friday
Free parking on Friday before 5 p.m. for Family Weekend is in the Dewey and G lots. Parking permits are not required in these lots on Friday. After 5 p.m. on Friday, free parking is available in any non-reserved campus parking space.
- GPS address for Dewey and G lot is 1 Dewey Field Road, Hanover, NH
- Walking from the Dewey and G lot parking lots to the Dartmouth Green will take about 15–20 minutes
- Another option is the free Advance Transit shuttle available on weekdays from both lots.
- Service generally runs every 10 minutes between 7–10 a.m. and 3–7 p.m. and every 30 minutes between 10 a.m.–3 p.m.
- Check advancetransit.com for the most up-to-date schedule. The free shuttle stops are near Tuck School of Business, Geisel Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, Undergraduate Admissions Office (McNutt Hall), Hanover Inn, and the Hopkins Center for the Arts.
Saturday and Sunday
Free parking for Family Weekend on Saturday and Sunday is available in any non-reserved campus surface parking spaces including Dewey, G lot, and Thompson lot. Parking permits are not required on Saturday and Sunday.
- GPS address for Dewey and G lot is 1 Dewey Field Road, Hanover, NH
- GPS address for Thompson is 10 Summer Court, Hanover, NH
- Walking from the Dewey, Thompson, and G parking lots to the Dartmouth Green will take about 15–20 minutes
Pay-to-Park Options All Weekend
Metered ParkMobile spaces on campus are available and require payment. Dartmouth’s Anderson Garage on the West End of campus, accepts credit cards to park in the gated facility, with weekday and weekend rates posted at the entrance.
Additional Resources
Dartmouth Family Weekend 2025: A Recap in Photos
More than 3,200 family members and guests joined students in Hanover for Dartmouth Family Weekend 2025. Explore this recap of last year’s Family Weekend—and get a sense of what you have to look forward to!
Have questions?
Contact Kay Reynolds, Associate Director, Family Relations and Engagement, at
dartmouth.families@dartmouth.edu.
