Schedule of Activities

• 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Visit the Welcome Table in Great Hall for nametags, refreshments and up-to-date weekend schedules. 
• 10:50 – 11:50 a.m. Carleton Convocation with Jack El-Hai ’79 in Skinner Memorial Chapel. He is a journalist who writes nonfiction books, articles, and essays. He covers medicine, history, science, and crime.
• 1 – 2:30 p.m. Meet our wonderful SWA Dog, Maisy, on the Bald Spot. Rain Location is the Office of Health Promotion, Sayles-Hill Campus Center 162.
• 1 – 4 p.m. Popcorn Wagon in front of Sayles-Hill Campus Center.
• 1:15pm Jummah Prayer & Suhba in Skinner Memorial Chapel Join us for Jummah Prayer in the lounge, led by our students. It will be followed by a reception and Suhba (community gathering), with refreshments provided. All students, family, and guests are welcome and invited. 
• 3:30 – 4:30 p.m. “Carleton College: An Idiosyncratic History with Pictures,” with Baird Jarman, David and Marian Adams Bryn-Jones Distinguished Teaching Professor of the Humanities in Boliou Hall 104.
• 3 – 6 p.m. Bouldering at the Rec Center Bouldering Wall. Must be 10 or older.
• 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. Undergraduate Research and Internship Symposium in the Rec Center. Each year Carleton College hosts an Undergraduate Research and Internship Symposium, where more than 200 students present posters on the research or internship work, they did over the summer.
• 4:30 p.m. Christian Social at FISH (Douglas) House. Come enjoy boba tea with our Christian Chaplain and students to learn about Christian community and spiritual life at Carleton College.
• 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 College 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 – 8:30 p.m. SUMO (Student Union Movie Organization) film screening of “Song of the Sea” at the Weitz Cinema.
• 7:30 – 8:30 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 refreshments.
• 10 – 11:30 p.m. SUMO (Student Union Movie Organization) film screening of “My Neighbor Totoro” at the Weitz Cinema.

Carleton Knights Men and Women’s Cross Country at George Oja Invitational in Salem, Oregon.

Carleton Knights Men and Women’s Swimming and Diving at MIAC/WIAC Swimming Invite in Rochester, Minnesota.

• 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Visit the Welcome Table in 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.
• 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 for Creativity 236. Continental breakfast available from 8:30 – 10 a.m. in the alcove outside of Weitz Center for Creativity 236.
• 9:45 – 10:45 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 – 11:15 a.m. East Energy Station Tour. Carleton College 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: 70 people, first come first served. Meet in Anderson Hall 121.
• 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. Updates and Q&A’s from President Byerly and Dean Livingston, in Skinner Memorial Chapel. Unable to attend in person? Please click here to register for the event via Zoom.
• 10:30 – 2 p.m. (LDC) & 11:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. (Burton Hall) 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 Carleton College friends! There is no cost to attend for families, but students will still be required to swipe their OneCard.
• 1 p.m. Carleton Knights Women’s Soccer at Saint Mary’s University in Winona, Minnesota.
• 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 – 4 p.m. Popcorn Wagon in front of Sayles-Hill Campus Center.
• 1 – 4 p.m. Outdoor games (weather permitting) front lawn of The Rec.
• 3 – 3:50 p.m. Off-Campus Studies panel in Weitz Center for Creativity 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.
• 3:00- 4:30 p.m. East Energy Station Tour. See description above. Limit: 70 people, first come first served. Meet in Anderson Hall 121.
• 3:30 p.m. Carleton Knights Men’s Soccer at Saint Mary’s University in Winona, Minnesota.
• 5 p.m. Carleton Knights Women’s Volleyball at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota.
• 7 p.m. Carleton Knights Football at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota.
• 7- 8:30 p.m. SUMO (Student Union Movie Organization) film screening of “My Neighbor Totoro” 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 Memorial Chapel.
• 8:30 – 9:30 p.m. Parents and Families Bonfire Sponsored by the Parents Advisory Council (PAC)near the Bald Spot. Come meet members of the 2026-27 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 – 11:30 p.m. SUMO (Student Union Movie Organization) film screening of “Song of the Sea,” at the Weitz Cinema.

• 8 a.m. – 10 a.m. Visit the Parents Lounge in Great Hall for final goodbyes.
• 9 a.m. (Check-in/warm-up starts at 8:30 a.m.) Carls 5K Fun Run/Walk led by PEAR (Physical Education, Athletics, and Recreation) student leaders. Enjoy the fall colors of the Arb! Meet outside the front entrance to the Rec Center.
• 10:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. Gather with us at the Dacie Moses House for Sunday Brunch! Drop in to share good food, warm conversation, and a taste of Home. We look forward to welcoming you—come early to pull up a chair! This is on a first-come, first-served basis.
• 3 – 5 p.m. Bouldering at the Rec Center Bouldering Wall. Must be 10 or older.
• 5 – 6 p.m. Sound Bath Meditation in Skinner Memorial Chapel. Complementary dinner to follow!