Family Weekend

Save the Date! Family Weekend 2024 is currently scheduled for Oct. 18-20.

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.

Collage of photos of cadets and their families at past events


 

 

DAILY SCHEDULES, 2024

Below, you will find schedules for each day of Family Weekend.

Time Event Location Cost
7:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.  Parents Council Meeting [Members Only] Marshall Hall  
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   $10.25 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  
6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.  VMI Commanders Jazz & Glee Club Concert Memorial Hall  
8:00 p.m. Theater Performance - "The Real Inspector Hound" 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. Mt. Aloysius/North Georgia 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   $10.25 adults and children, children under 5 eat free
1:00 p.m. Rugby vs. Radford University North Post / Drill Field  
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. The Citadel Foster Stadium – Alumni Memorial Field Game Day Information

Ticket Information
8:00 p.m. Theater Performance - "The Real Inspector Hound" 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. Women’s Soccer vs. Chattanooga Patchin Field  
2:00 p.m. Theater Performance - "The Real Inspector Hound" 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 Museum - 8 East Washington Street

Mondays – Saturdays, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Self-Guided Tours offered daily, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

  • Standard Fee: $10/Adults, $7/Youth (6-17), children under 6 are free.
  • Alumni Rate: Alumni are free (Immediate family 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 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Saturday – 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sunday – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

 

The PX in Lejeune Hall

Friday – 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Saturday – 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Sunday – 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

 

Preston Library

Friday – 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Saturday – 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Sunday – 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

 

VMI Museum - 200 Level Memorial Hall

9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Daily with extended hours until 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday of Home Game weekends

 

VMI Athletic Ticket Office - Cameron Hall

Family Weekend Ticket Office Hours

  • Friday, October 18th, 8:30 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1-4:30 p.m.
  • Saturday, October 19th, 9 a.m. - Halftime of the football game
  • Sunday, October 20th, CLOSED

Family Weekend Ticket Prices

  • Advanced purchase online or 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
  • Online Ticket Sales


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

Please note, the entrance to Post is through Jordan’s Point except for Keydet Club members.

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.

Collage of photos of cadets and their families at past events


 

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.

Collage of photos of cadets and their families at past events


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

Chessie trail, mountains, and downtown Lexington