Jump To: Friday, October 17 | Saturday, October 18 | Sunday, October 19

Friday, October 17

  • 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Visit the Welcome Table in Severance Great Hall for nametags, refreshments and up-to-date weekend schedules. 
  • 9 a.m. – 10 a.m. Tour the Class of 1974 Center, home for Student Health and Counseling, Accessibility Resources, and other offices. Tours will be led starting at 9 am with 5-10 people at a time. Drop in to enjoy one of the ongoing tours, which last about 15 minutes. (Class of 1974 Center, 1st and Union Sts.)
  • 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Missing someone from home? Send them a postcard from Carleton. Available in Sayles-Hill Great Space.
  • 10:50 – 11:50 a.m. Convocation with Maya Warren ’07 in Skinner Chapel. Dr. Maya Warren ‘07, The Ice Cream Scientist®, blends science, storytelling, and global exploration into a mission to make the world sweeter—one scoop at a time.
  • 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Meet one of our wonderful SWA Dogs on the Bald Spot.
  • 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. Popcorn Wagon in front of Sayles Hill.
  • 1:15 p.m. Jummah in Skinner Memorial Chapel Lounge.
  • 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. Ice Cream Sampling with Dr. Maya Warren. Dr. Maya Warren ’07, the Ice Cream Scientist, loves ice cream! Come and enjoy a scoop of delicious Dr Bombay ice cream with her. Supplies are limited, first come first served. Meet in the Anderson Atrium.
  • 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. East Energy Station Tour. Carleton is a nationwide leader in campus sustainability, and in 2020 completed a shift from steam heating to a new geothermal and heat pump system that provides 70% of the campus’ heating and cooling year-round. See where the magic happens on a tour of the East Energy Station. Limit: 50 people, first come first served. Meet in Olin 141.
  • 2:45 – 3:45 p.m. “Carleton College: An Idiosyncratic History with Pictures,” with Baird Jarman, David and Marian Adams Bryn-Jones Distinguished Teaching Professor of the Humanities. Boliou 104.
  • 3:00 – 6:00 p.m. Bouldering at the Rec Center Bouldering Wall. Must be 10 or older.
  • 3:45 – 4:45 p.m. East Energy Station Tour. See description above. Limit: 50 people, first come first served. Meet in Olin 141.
  • 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. Undergraduate Research and Internship Symposium in the Rec Center. Nearly 300 students will present posters sharing learning from summer academic research and internship experiences.
  • 4:30 p.m. Christian Social at Chapel Lawn/Vestibule entrance.
  • 5 – 6 p.m. Campus Tour led by students. You are encouraged to ask about life as a Carl, residential life, and our campus community as you check out our academic buildings and other facilities. Ideal if you’ve never been to campus before, or have younger siblings visiting! Meet outside Scoville Hall.
  • 6:15 p.m. Jewish Shabbat Celebration in Alumni Guest House.
    All students, families, and guests are invited to join the Jewish community of Carleton to welcome Shabbat. We will light candles, have a participatory, songful prayer service led by Rav Michaela, then gather for kiddush and a nosh.
  • 7 p.m. SUMO (Student Union Movie Organization) film screening of “Pirates of the Caribbean – Curse of the Black Pearl” at the Weitz Cinema.
  • 7:30 – 8:15 p.m. Music Department Showcase with performances by instrumental and choral ensembles, as well as chamber groups and student soloists in Kracum Hall. Reception to follow.
  • 8:30 – 10:30 p.m. Game Night in Great Hall. Face off with your family on board games and Legos, and enjoy some hot beverages and snacks.
  • 10 p.m. SUMO (Student Union Movie Organization) film screening of “The Goonies” at the Weitz Cinema.

Saturday, October 18

  • 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Visit the Welcome Table in Severance Great Hall for nametags and up-to-date weekend schedules.
  • 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. Indoor Pickleball, Basketball, Tennis – Rec. Fieldhouse Courts.
  • 8:30 – 9:30 a.m. Are you a parent and an alum? Join us at the Alumni Guest House to meet up with other alumni who are raising the next generation of Carls for an Alum Parents Coffee Reception. The Alumni Guest House is located at the southwest corner of First and College Sts., diagonally across from the Carleton sign.
  • 9 – 10:30 a.m. Carleton faculty will present short talks designed to give family members a window into the experience of working with our consistently top-rated faculty. Held in Weitz Center 236. Continental breakfast available from 8:30 – 10 a.m. in the alcove outside of Weitz Center 236.
    • 9 a.m. Building Power & Piety in Medieval Italy: Exploring the Spoils of Time in Off-Campus Studies, with William North, Professor of History and Program Director for Medieval and Renaissance Studies
    • 9:30 a.m. Negotiating Inheritance on the Ancient Greek Stage, with Cecilia Cozzi, Visiting Assistant Professor of Classics
    • 10 a.m. Exploring Effective Practices for Physics Education in the Age of Generative AI, with Melissa Eblen-Zayas, Professor of Physics
  • 9:30 – 10:30 a.m. Campus Tour led by students. You are encouraged to ask about life as a Carl, residential life, and our campus community as you check out our academic buildings and other facilities. Ideal if you’ve never been to campus before, or have younger siblings visiting! Meet outside Scoville Hall.
  • 9:45 – 10:45 a.m. East Energy Station Tour. Carleton is a nationwide leader in campus sustainability, and in 2020 completed a shift from steam heating to a new geothermal and heat pump system that provides 70% of the campus’ heating and cooling year-round. See where the magic happens on a tour of the East Energy Station. Limit: 50 people, first come first served. Meet in Olin 141.
  • 10 a.m. 3-4 mile Arb Run led by CREEP (Carleton Running Club). Enjoy the fall colors of the Arb! Meet outside the front entrance to the Rec Center.
  • 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Missing someone from home? Send them a postcard from Carleton. Available in Sayles-Hill Great Space.
  • 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. Updates and Q&A’s from President Byerly and Dean Livingston, in Skinner Chapel. Unable to attend in person? Please click here to register for the event via Zoom.
  • 11 a.m. Men’s and Women’s Swimming & Diving Intrasquad/Alumni Meet at West Gym.
  • 11:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. Family Weekend Lunch. All families and students are invited to attend in either the Burton Dining Hall or the Language and Dining Center. This is a great time to meet your Carl’s friends! There is no cost to attend for families, but students will still be required to swipe their OneCard.
  • 12 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Visit the Perlman Teaching Museum in the Weitz Center to view the “Pedro Reyes: Ahimsa” exhibition.
  • 1 p.m. Football vs. Hamline University at Laird Stadium. Homecoming / Tackle Cancer Game.
  • 1 p.m. Men’s Soccer vs Saint Mary’s University at Bell Field.
  • 1 – 2 p.m. Arb Walk led by student naturalists. Hike a small slice of the Upper Arboretum to learn about the restoration work the College is doing in this 800-acre nature preserve. There won’t be time to share the whole place with you, but we hope to provide enough information to encourage you to explore more of the 15 miles of trails on your own. Meet at the Arb kiosk in front of the Rec Center.
  • 1 – 3 p.m. Live trivia with Noah Tarnow ’97, founder of The Big Quiz Thing. Prizes will be awarded! Nobody loves trivia more than a Carl. Held in Great Hall.
  • 1-4pm. Outdoor games (weather permitting) front lawn of The Rec.
  • 2 – 3 p.m. Campus Tour led by students. You are encouraged to ask about life as a Carl, residential life, and our campus community as you check out our academic buildings and other facilities. Ideal if you’ve never been to campus before, or have younger siblings visiting! Meet outside Scoville Hall.
  • 3 – 3:50 p.m. Off-Campus Studies panel in Weitz Center 236. Q&A session with Helena Kaufman, Director of Off-Campus Studies, and OCS Fellows, focusing on some of the programs Carleton offers and how students fit it into their academic plans.
  • 3 – 4 p.m. Campus Tour led by students. See description above. Meet outside Scoville Hall.
  • 3:30 p.m. Women’s Soccer vs Saint Mary’s University (Minn.) at Bell Field.
  • 5 p.m. Women’s Volleyball vs Concordia College-Moorhead at West Gym.
  • 7 p.m. SUMO (Student Union Movie Organization) film screening of “The Goonies” at the Weitz Cinema.
  • 7:30 – 8:30 p.m. Student Group Showcase featuring musical performances by student groups, including the Accidentals, Exit 69, Carleton Singing Knights and Knightingales, in Skinner Chapel.
  • 8:30 – 9:30 p.m. Parents and Families Bonfire Sponsored by the Parents Advisory Council (PAC) on Mai Fete Island. Come meet members of the 2025-26 Parents Advisory Council (PAC) and other fellow parents. The council comprises 35-40 families of current Carleton Students, from a range of locations, professions and interests; serving as a resource for the College. Sing along planned with the Student Group “Pickin’ & Grinnin'”. Weather permitting.
  • 10 p.m. SUMO (Student Union Movie Organization) film screening of “Pirates of the Caribbean – Curse of the Black Pearl” at the Weitz Cinema.

Sunday, October 19

  • 8 – 11 a.m.  Visit the Welcome Table in Severance Great Hall for refreshments. 
  • 9 – 10 a.m. Arb Walk led by student naturalists. Hike a small slice of the Upper Arboretum to learn about the restoration work the College is doing in this 800-acre nature preserve. There won’t be time to share the whole place with you, but we hope to provide enough information to encourage you to explore more of the 15 miles of trails on your own. Meet at the Arb kiosk in front of the Rec Center.
  • 11 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Please join us in the Dacie Moses House for Sunday Brunch! Space and food is limited. First come, first served!
  • 12 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Visit the Perlman Teaching Museum in the Weitz Center to view the “Pedro Reyes: Ahimsa” exhibition.
  • 2 – 5 p.m. Bouldering at the Rec Center Bouldering Wall. Must be 10 or older.
  • 5 – 6 p.m. Sound Bath Meditation in Skinner Chapel.