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Family Weekend
Save the Date! Family Weekend 2023 is currently scheduled for Oct. 20-22.
The VMI community is looking forward to hosting you for a fun and memorable weekend! Whether you stay on post or venture into downtown Lexington and surrounding areas our main hope is that you find enjoyment in reconnecting with your cadet. There will be interactive events and activities taking place throughout the weekend that are educational, entertaining, and scheduled with the overall goal to build community. We encourage you to experience the networks and communities available to you on this weekend, as well as those your cadet has chosen to be part of during their VMI experience.
All dates and times are subject to change. This page will be updated as necessary, and any major changes will also be noted on the VMI homepage.
DAILY SCHEDULES, 2023
Below, you will find schedules for each day of Family Weekend.
A map is also available to assist with traffic patterns on Game Day for arrival, parking, and cadet pick-up:
| Time | Event | Location | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. | Parent Council Meeting | Marshall Hall Center for Leadership & Ethics | |
| 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. | Academic Duty | Parents are welcome to join cadets in their classrooms | |
| 11:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. | Luncheon | Crozet Hall | $10 adults and children, children under 5 eat free |
| 1:00 – 4:00 p.m. | Appointments with Faculty and Advisors | Individual Offices | |
| 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. | Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Open Door Sessions | Kilbourne Hall | |
| 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. | Fostering Resilience In Your Cadet (Counseling Office) | Nichols Auditorium | |
| 6:00 p.m. | Jewish Shabbat Dinner / Bayit Mitzvah Celebration Note: This is a W&L event, and a change from the original schedule. |
W&L Hillel – contact Chaplain’s Office for information | |
| 7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. | VMI Commanders Jazz & Glee Club Concert | Memorial Hall | |
| 8:00 p.m. | Theater Performance - "Best of the West" | Marshall Hall, Gillis Theater | General admission: $10 for adults $5 for senior citizens and students Cadets and children age 6 and under - Free. |
| Time | Event | Location | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8:00 – 9:45 a.m. | Appointments with Faculty and Advisors |
Individual Office & Department Receptions |
|
| 8:00 a.m. | Men's & Women's Rifle vs. The Citadel | Kilbourne Hall | |
| 8:30 – 9:30 a.m. | Barracks Open House | VMI Barracks | |
| 8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. | Open House Reception for Institute Honor Cadets and Family, Invite only | 410 VMI Parade | |
| 10:30 – 11:15 a.m. | Parade | Parade Ground | |
| 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. | Luncheon | Crozet Hall | $10 adults and children, children under 5 eat free |
| 1:00 – 1:15 p.m. | Corps March Down to Alumni Memorial Field | VMI Post | |
| 1:30 – 5:00 p.m. | VMI Keydet Football vs. Samford University | Foster Stadium – Alumni Memorial Field | Game Day Information Ticket Information |
| 8:00 p.m. | Theater Performance - "Best of the West" | Marshall Hall, Gillis Theater | General admission: $10 for adults $5 for senior citizens and students Cadets and children age 6 and under - Free. |
| Time | Event | Location | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9:00 – 10:00 a.m. | Catholic Mass | Memorial Hall | |
| 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. | Light Refreshments | Memorial Hall Foyer | |
| 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. | Collective Protestant Service | Memorial Hall | |
| 2:00 p.m. | Theater Performance - "Best of the West" | Marshall Hall, Gillis Theater | General admission: $10 for adults $5 for senior citizens and students Cadets and children age 6 and under - Free. |
Jackson House - 8 East Washington Street
Tuesdays – Saturdays, 9am-5pm
Self-Guided Tours offered daily, 10am-4pm
- Standard Fee: $10/Adults, $7/Youth (6-17), children under 6 are free.
- Alumni Rate: Alumni are free (Spouse accompanying alumni will also receive free admission)
- Cadet Rate: Cadets are free (Family members accompanying cadet will also receive free) admission).
Keydet Bookstore - Lejeune Hall, Lower Level
Friday – 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Saturday – 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Sunday – 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Lejeune Hall Food Court
Friday – 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Saturday – 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Sunday – 11:00 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Friday – 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Saturday – 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Sunday – 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
VMI Museum - 200 Level Memorial Hall
9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Thursday – Monday
VMI Athletic Ticket Office - Cameron Hall
Family Weekend Ticket Office Hours
Friday, October 20, 8:30am-12:00pm and 1-4:30pm
- Saturday, October 21st, 9am- Halftime of the football game
- Sunday, October 22nd, CLOSED
Family Weekend Ticket Prices
**Advanced purchase online or through me by calling 540-464-7266
- Adult Reserved- $30.00 +fees
- Youth Reserved- $20.00 +fees
- Adult General Admission- $25.00 +fees
**Walk up sales on Oct. 21st
- Adult GA- $30.00
- Youth GA- $20.00
PARKING & TAILGATING
The Parade Ground will be open for parking on Saturday at 7:00 a.m. (weather permitting). The cost for parking will be $40 per car. Only one tent (10’x10’) per vehicle. If you want to set up with other families, you must enter the Parade Ground together. Overnight parking is not permitted, all vehicles are to be removed by 7:00 p.m.
Parking crews will be on site; please follow their instructions when entering the area.
Alcohol is not permitted on Post to include the tailgating events on the Parade Ground. Tailgating on the Parade Ground ends at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday.vm
ON-POST SHUTTLE SERVICE
This service will run continuously from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday. Pick up locations are Moody Hall, Memorial Hall, Crozet Hall, and Cameron Hall. During the football game on Saturday, shuttles will be positioned at Cameron Hall to transport spectators from the stadium back to the parade ground area.
WEEKEND PERMITS
Cadets may leave Post with their families after the Completion of Military Duty (CMD) on Friday and after the football game on Saturday in accordance with the Family Weekend Permit.
The Family Weekend permit ends on Sunday, at 8:30 p.m. Restrictions are lifted only for cadets and new cadets, who are in the company of an authorized adult, i.e., a parent or guardian, grandparent, aunt or uncle, brother or sister 23 years of age or older, full-time member of the VMI faculty or staff, or parent of another cadet. Cadets and new cadets signed out on the "Family Weekend" permit may leave the county but are not authorized to spend the night off post and must observe the following schedule:
- Friday - Return by midnight
- Saturday - Breakfast Roll Call (BRC) at 7:00 a.m., parade formation at 10:15 a.m., football game march-down formation and football game at 12:55 p.m. and return by Midnight.
- Sunday - Cadets are released from quarters at 7:00 a.m., a status check is at 8:30 p.m.
VISITING VMI & LEXINGTON
Virginia Military Institute is located in historic Lexington, Virginia nestled in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley. VMI’s post consists of 59 buildings on 200 acres; with many of the buildings dating from the 19th century. Today, a 12-acre portion of VMI is recognized as a national historic district containing the only structure to survive Union attacks during the American Civil War, and Old Barracks is recognized as a national historic landmark. Off-post properties include McKethan Park— the site of the VMI observatory—the New Market Battlefield State Historical Park, the Jackson House Museum and the adjoining Davidson-Tucker House in downtown Lexington, and part of the Chessie Trail, a multipurpose recreational trail linking Buena Vista and Lexington.
The surrounding area of Rockridge County offers many options for hiking, biking, horseback riding, fishing, and adventures into the Blue Ridge Mountains, including the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway. The area also hosts breweries and wineries, as well as a wide variety of restaurants, including local Lexington fare in the historic downtown district.
For more information on where to stay in Lexington and local attractions, we encourage you to visit the Lexington Visitor Center.
Lodging Options | Weekend Events | Natural Beauty | Dining Directory
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