Family Weekend 2022: Schedule of Events

9 AM - 3 PM
Fall Plant & Bulb Sale (Edith J. Carrier Arboretum)
The plant and bulb sale will be held at the Frances Plecker Education Center in the arboretum.

More information »

11 AM - 5 PM
Duke Hall Gallery of Fine Arts (Duke Hall, Room 1022, Free)

The Duke Gallery of Fine Art is excited to open the 2022 – 2023 academic year with Nekisha Durrett’s immersive exhibition, True Grit. True Grit honors the process of place-making in opposition to the colonial forces of dispossession and extraction. Monumental text panels, encrusted with the soil of the Brookland neighborhood in which she grew up, spell out "Watch Me Bless This House" across the gallery wall. Inverting the association of true grit with the macho swagger and "frontier justice" associated with the Western film of the same title, Durrett instead venerates the strength of family matriarchs who heal, bless and build lives. True Grit invokes the red clay of the U.S. South as the familiar backdrop to many African American experiences. Creating monuments to the power of memory, Durrett engages in storytelling and a poetic study of language.

More information »

2:30 - 6 PM
General Education Student Conference (Rose Library / Festival Conference and Student Center)
Meet inspirational professors and learn more about the JMU General Education Program while experiencing outstanding student work in subjects from the natural sciences, humanities, and the social sciences. Some of the most creative, exciting and noteworthy work produced by students in General Education classes will be presented. Multiple conference sessions are available, so you are welcome to attend multiple sessions or just one.

More information »

3 - 6 PM
JMU-OTCES Presents “Let’s Play D-U-U-K-E-E-S” (131 W. Grace Street)
JMU-OTCES (JMU Occupational Therapy Clinical Education Services) is hosting an event for students and family members of ALL ages and abilities on Friday afternoon. This event includes a variety of stations with competitive activities where Dukes and their families can go head-to-head in unique challenges that highlight the distinct value of occupational therapy! Come grab some purple and gold beads for the game and take a photo in our #JMUFamilyWeekend photo booth!

• Sensory-Friendly!
• Parents to accompany children/teens at ALL times throughout the events
• Check out our clinic website
• Please call 540-568-4980 or email otces@jmu.edu if you would like additional information

4 - 6 PM
College of Business Learning Complex Open House and Tours (Hartman Hall)
Join College of Business faculty, staff, and students for an Open House and Tours of the CoB Learning Complex. Tours will begin in Hartman Hall every 30 minutes starting at 4 pm. Stop by to see the space and have a refreshment! Parking will be available in P Lot until 6:30 pm by entering at the north entrance. No pre-registration required.

6 - 8 PM
Family Game Night at X-Labs (Lakeview Hall, Free)
Join us at JMU X-Labs for interactive games, extra-large board games, mason jar etching, virtual reality experiences and lots of fun for the whole family! Like our Pop-Up classes, there will be a make-and-take for each participant while supplies last. Family members of all ages welcome. 

6 PM
JMU Women's Soccer vs. Appalachian State (Sentara Park, Harrisonburg, Free Admission)
Grab your whole family to cheer on the Dukes at Sentara Park!

6 - 10 PM
University Recreation Family Hours (UREC and UPARK)
Families are welcome and encouraged to avail themselves of the wide assortment of UREC and UPARK’s facilities and amenities. Please be sure to bring a photo ID, and students must accompany family members.

7 PM
Friday Night Flights (Atlantic Union Bank Center)
JMU Nation, the Duke Club's premier event of the fall is right around the corner! Join us for Friday Night Flights presented by W.M. Jordan on the field under the lights of Bridgeforth Stadium. Join us for a beer and wine tasting at 7pm.  If you have any questions, call the Athletic Ticket Office at (540) 568-3853. (Advanced registration required)

Purchase Tickets »

7:30-10:00 PM
UPB Movie: Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (Free, Grafton-Stovall Theatre)
Students and families are welcome to watch the movie and enjoy free popcorn!

8 PM

SOLD OUT - WHOSE LIVE ANYWAY? (Wilson Hall)
www.jmuforbescenter.com

The current cast members of the Emmy-nominated television show Whose Line Is It Anyway?  are proud to present their new improv tour Whose Live Anyway? The show is 90 minutes of hilarious improvised comedy and song, all based on audience suggestions. Cast members Ryan Stiles, Greg Proops, Jeff B. Davis and Joel Murray will leave you gasping with the very witty scenes they invent before your eyes. Audience participation is key to the show, so bring your suggestions – and you might be asked to join the cast onstage! Whose Live Anyway? showcases some of the improv games made famous on the long-running television show, as well as some exciting new ones, featuring musical direction by Bob Derkach.

This is an improvised show. The performers do not control audiences suggestions. Please note that some “PG-13” language will be used during the performance. 

Ticket Prices - $40 to $56

All sales final. No refunds or exchanges. Box Office opens one and one half hour prior to the performance at Wilson Hall.  Tickets will be mailed or held at will call.

Patrons can park for free in the Warsaw Parking Deck behind the Forbes Center one and a half hours prior to performances. A free shuttle will run from the Warsaw Parking Deck to Wilson Hall starting one hour prior to performances and returning immediately following.

Purchase Tickets »

8:30 AM - 12:30 PM
SOLD OUT - Family Weekend Canoe Trip (Meet at UREC Adventure Center)
Includes the equipment, leaders, transportation and snacks | dress in layers in clothes than can get wet (just in case) and wear shoes with straps that can get wet (no flip-flops) | please bring a small backpack, 2 liters of water, sunblock and a hat | $20 per person, internet processing fees may apply.

Enjoy the beauty of the valley as we canoe on the South Fork of the Shenandoah River. Paddle “Lake Shenandoah,” a flat-water-section in northeastern Rockingham County about 30 minutes from JMU. Basic canoeing and safety instruction will be covered. All you need to bring are your paddling clothes and shoes. Students can register themselves and their families through the JMU Ticket Office at www.jmutickets.com or (540) 568-3853. Please register for ticketed events by September 23, 2022. Contact UREC's Interim Coordinator for Adventure & TEAM Programs with questions.

8:30 AM - 12:30 PM
SOLD OUT - Family Weekend Hike (Meet at UREC Adventure Center)
Includes leaders, transportation and snacks | dress in layers and wear closed toed shoes, and a rain jacket is always a good idea | please bring a small backpack, 2 liters of water, sunblock and a hat | $25 per person, internet processing fees may apply

We will meet at UREC then travel to the border of West Virginia for a scenic hike to the historic High Knob fire tower. This moderate 3-mile round-trip trail hike includes some uphill hiking. Your efforts will be rewarded with a 360-degree view of the Allegheny and Blue Ridge mountains from the top of a fire tower. Students can register themselves and their families through the JMU Ticket Office at www.jmutickets.com or (540) 568-3853. Please register for ticketed events by September 23, 2022. Contact UREC's Interim Coordinator for Adventure & TEAM Programs with questions. 

9 AM - 10 PM
University Recreation Family Hours (UREC and UPARK)
Families are welcome and encouraged to avail themselves of the wide assortment of UREC and UPARK’s facilities and amenities. Please be sure to bring a photo ID, and students must accompany family members.

9 AM - 3 PM
Fall Plant & Bulb Sale (Edith J. Carrier Arboretum)
The plant and bulb sale will be held at the Frances Plecker Education Center in the arboretum.

More information »

9:30 AM - 11 AM
Honors College Hillcrest Open House (Hillcrest House)
Honors will host a casual drop-in open house so that family members can meet Honors College faculty and see our facility. Coffee, pastries and fruit will be provided. An invitation RSVP link will be included in our fall newsletter – watch your email for more details!

10 AM - Noon
SOLD OUT - Family Weekend Downtown Bike Ride (Meet at UREC Adventure Center)
Includes leaders and adult sized bikes only | Helmets (provided) required | $10 per person, internet processing fees may apply

We will meet at UREC then ride a short distance to the Harrisonburg Farmers’ Market where you can purchase great local breakfast items. After enjoying the Farmers’ Market, you are welcome to explore downtown before riding back as a group to UREC. Students can register themselves and their families through the JMU Ticket Office at www.jmutickets.com or (540) 568-3853. Please register for ticketed events by September 23, 2022. Contact UREC's Interim Coordinator for Adventure & TEAM Programs with questions. 

10 AM - 2 PM
SOLD OUT - Family Weekend Picnic On Hanson Field 10:00am - 2:00pm.

CANCELED DUE TO RAIN - Purchased tickets can be used for lunch in one of the Dining Halls-

No Refunds

10 AM - 1:30 PM
JMU Family Photobooth (D-Hall Entrance, Free)
Visit the JMU Family Photobooth to take a fun photo with your JMU Family and pick up some free purple and gold beads and pom-poms!

11 AM
Magic Tree House: Space Mission (John C. Wells Planetarium, Free)
Travel with the brother-sister duo, Jack and Annie, in their Magic Tree House as they discover a note that asks them to answer a series of six questions about space. With the help of the astronomer, the Internet, an astronaut, books and the writer of the mysterious note, Jack and Annie are taken on a wondrous journey of adventure and learning. This exciting voyage will carry visitors to the planets and far out into the Universe where Jack and Annie nearly get… Well, we don’t want to give it away. The adventure is just beginning! This show is designed for families with young children (ages 4 to 8) in mind. (30 minutes)  View Trailer

11 AM - 5 PM
Duke Hall Gallery of Fine Arts (Duke Hall, Room 1022, Free)

The Duke Gallery of Fine Art is excited to open the 2022 – 2023 academic year with Nekisha Durrett’s immersive exhibition, True Grit. True Grit honors the process of place-making in opposition to the colonial forces of dispossession and extraction. Monumental text panels, encrusted with the soil of the Brookland neighborhood in which she grew up, spell out "Watch Me Bless This House" across the gallery wall. Inverting the association of true grit with the macho swagger and "frontier justice" associated with the Western film of the same title, Durrett instead venerates the strength of family matriarchs who heal, bless and build lives. True Grit invokes the red clay of the U.S. South as the familiar backdrop to many African American experiences. Creating monuments to the power of memory, Durrett engages in storytelling and a poetic study of language.

More information »

11:30 AM - 1:30 PM
University Outpost FanZone (Godwin Patio, Free)
The FanZone is a family focused pre-game festival that features inflatable games, a bounce house, face-painting (courtesy of the JMU Cheerleaders!), music, the Dog Walk, and much more. The FanZone opens two and a half hours prior to kickoff and remains open until 30 minutes before game time. Come out and show your Madison spirit while having fun with the whole family.

1 PM
Magic Tree House: Space Mission (John C. Wells Planetarium, Free)
Travel with the brother-sister duo, Jack and Annie, in their Magic Tree House as they discover a note that asks them to answer a series of six questions about space. With the help of the astronomer, the Internet, an astronaut, books and the writer of the mysterious note, Jack and Annie are taken on a wondrous journey of adventure and learning. This exciting voyage will carry visitors to the planets and far out into the Universe where Jack and Annie nearly get… Well, we don’t want to give it away. The adventure is just beginning! This show is designed for families with young children (ages 4 to 8) in mind. (30 minutes)  View Trailer

1:30 PM Kickoff
JMU Dukes Football vs. Texas State (Bridgeforth Stadium/Zane Showker Field, students free with reservation and JACard)
Join us for our annual Family Weekend football game as your Dukes host Texas State! Click here to purchase season tickets or call (540) 568-3853. (If you wish to sit with your student during the game, enter their student ID # when prompted.)

Purchase tickets »  |  Game Day Info »

2 PM - 6 PM
Open Climbing (UREC, Free)
No registration necessary. If you want to add a challenge to your Family Weekend, then look no further. Immediate family members are welcome to join us for an afternoon of fun in UREC’s Adventure Center, complete with a freestanding climbing tower and expansive bouldering wall. We will cover all you need to know for your first climb. Students will need to bring their JACard. Contact UREC's Interim Coordinator for Adventure & TEAM Programs with questions. 

2:15 & 3:30 PM
The Incredible Sun (John C. Wells Planetarium, Free)
Every second the Sun emits million times more energy than the world consumes every year. Where does such a huge amount of power come from? Discover our star through the breathtaking timelapses. Thanks to the real images taken by the Solar Dynamics Observatory and processed by advanced mathematical methods, you will experience the true nature of the Sun and find out that it is far from being as calm as it seems at first glance. The Sun’s activity, pronounced by terrific solar flares, sunspots and coronal mass ejections, influences our planet, by producing impressive auroras but also by damaging distribution networks and communication satellites. Is it a threat to us, then? This show is great for middle/high school students and adults.

7 PM
JMU Men's Soccer vs. Kentucky (Sentara Park, Harrisonburg, Free Admission)
Grab your whole family to cheer on the Dukes at Sentara Park!

4 - 8 PM
D-Hall Fan Favorites

No reservations required. $15.25 (plus tax if purchased at the door), kids 5 and under free (JMU students free with meal plan)

All-you-care-to-eat dining stations include:

• Slow Smoked BBQ Ribs with three cheese macaroni and baked beans, collard greens, coleslaw, corn muffin
• Pork Carnitas Tacos with cilantro rice and chipotle black beans, chips & queso
• Italian Sandwich, house made BBQ chips served with 3 onion dip
• Chili Fritos Cheddar Pizza, cheese and pepperoni Pizza
• Vegan Nacho & Quesadilla Bar
• Rotisserie Chicken with roasted potato wedges and corn on the cob
• Tailgate Pasta Salad with salami, olives, tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and roasted red peppers
• Grilled and Fried Chicken Sandwiches with sides
• Create your own Stir-fry!
• Assorted Gourmet Desserts

4:30 - 8 PM
SOLD OUT - E-Hall Fantastic Feast

Reservations required - no walk ins. Early seating 4:30-6:00pm, late seating from 6:15-8:00pm. $25.50 plus tax, children (6-12 years) $16, 5 and under free (JMU students free with meal plan)

All-you-care-to-eat dining stations include:

• Steamed Crab Legs: Served with drawn butter and fresh lemon
• Gourmet Shrimp Cocktail: Chilled jumbo shrimp served with classic cocktail sauce, avocado lime cocktail sauce, and curry yogurt cocktail sauce
• Smoked Salmon Bar: Smoked salmon served with capers, tomato, onion, boiled egg, and an assortment of flavored cream cheeses
• Grilled Apple and Goat Cheese Salad: A bed of field greens topped with warm grilled apples, chilled toasted barley, acorn squash, pomegranate seeds, herbed goat cheese, pepitas, and drizzled with a berry vinaigrette
• Butternut Squash Bisque: Velvety spiced roast butternut squash soup topped with maple crème fraiche, and ginger relish
• Jerk Chicken: Jerk roasted quarter chicken served atop roasted sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts topped with chimichurri sauce
• Sirloin Roast: Seasoned roast sirloin served atop potato au gratin with grilled herbed carrots and parsnips, topped with red wine balsamic reduction
• Pork Loin: Carved pork loin served with grilled asparagus, wild rice pilaf, and topped with apple chutney
• Artisan Charcuterie: gourmet meats, cheeses, bread & fresh seasonal fruit, served with assorted jams, jellies, mustards
• Chicken Kabob: House-made naan bread smeared with curried potato-dal pâté, topped with tandoori chicken, pickled red onions, citrus yogurt sauce, crispy potato straws
• Tempeh Tostada: Grilled southwest seasoned tempeh served atop a cinnamon-chili tortilla with salsa verde, radish, vegan lime coconut crema, vegan cheese, and salsa roja
• Seasonal Fruit and Dessert: Fresh seasonal fruit display and house made gourmet desserts

9:00 - 11:00 AM
Study Abroad Reception (D-Hall, Hall of Presidents, Free)
This is a drop-in event where students, parents, family, and friends will be able to meet with the Study Abroad Staff, Global Dukes (study abroad alums), and Semester Program Directors to talk about our 90+ JMU study abroad programs. Breakfast items and coffee will be available. All are invited!

11 AM - 6 PM
University Recreation Family Hours (UREC and UPARK)

Families are welcome and encouraged to avail themselves of the wide assortment of UREC and UPARK’s facilities and amenities. Please be sure to bring a photo ID, and students must accompany family members.

Hours Vary By Location
Family Brunch at E-Hall or D-Hall ($10/person | No tickets necessary)
Choose from a selection of breakfast and lunch items. If your student has a meal plan, there is no additional charge. They just punch their JACard at the door as usual. And even better, if they have FLEX or Dining Dollars, they can pay for your meal.

1 PM
JMU Women's Soccer vs. Louisville (Sentara Park, Harrisonburg, Free Admission)
Grab your whole family to cheer on the Dukes at Sentara Park!

2 PM
A Cappella Thon Concert (Memorial Hall Auditorium | $5/person Cash or Check)
Concert featuring JMU's award-winning, student-led a cappella groups. Please email acappellajmu@gmail.com with specific questions regarding the event.