Carolina Family Weekend

Carolina families, registration will take place in late August on the UNC Family Experience Portal, make sure you’re signed up at uncfamilies.campusesp.com.

Check back in August for this year’s Family Weekend Registration prices:

• UNC Students register for free! (other ticketed events may require purchase for UNC students).
• Early bird registration is $TBD
• Regular registration is $TBD
• On-site registration is $TBD

For early arrivals, check-in with New Student & Family Programs staff to pick up any NSFP registration purchases.

Location: West Lounge, F.P.G Student Union, 209 South Rd, Chapel Hill, NC

Carolina families enjoy free access to Campus Recreation Facilities for Carolina student families and members of the Campus Recreation family (student employee alumni).

 Family members can join students to work out for free in one of the Campus Recreation facilities during the entirety of Family Weekend.  (Family members must be accompanied by a current UNC student and will be asked to sign a participation waiver at check-in.)

Facilities include the Student Recreation Center, Rams Head Recreation Center, Fetzer Hall, Woollen Gym, and Bowman Gray Memorial Pool. Visit: campusrec.unc.edu for all facility hours.

Check-in with New Student & Family Programs staff to pick up any NSFP registration purchases.

Location: West Lounge, F.P.G Student Union, 209 South Rd, Chapel Hill, NC

We’re bringing the experts to you for a mini conference covering topics we know are on the mind of Carolina families! Showcasing Student Affairs professionals present on Navigating Internships, On-Campus & Off-Campus Housing, and Fraternity & Sorority Life. General Family Weekend registration gets you access to all sessions.

Location: Various locations in F.P.G Student Union, 209 South Rd, Chapel Hill, NC

Enjoy an evening where YOU become the artist! A professional instructor will lead all participants in an engaging 2-hour class where you can leave with your very own painting.

• Doors open 6:30 p.m.
• Class beings 7 p.m.

Each ticket includes:

• Access to the event and instructor-guided process
• All materials (pre-sketched canvas and paints)
• Cheerwine & Cheerwine floats (a staple of North Carolina!) and snacks

Location: The Great Hall, F.P.G Student Union, 209 South Rd, Chapel Hill, NC

Carolina families enjoy free access to Campus Recreation Facilities for Carolina student families and members of the Campus Recreation family (student employee alumni).

 Family members can join students to work out for free in one of the Campus Recreation facilities during the entirety of Family Weekend.  (Family members must be accompanied by a current UNC student and will be asked to sign a participation waiver at check-in.)

Facilities include the Student Recreation Center, Rams Head Recreation Center, Fetzer Hall, Woollen Gym, and Bowman Gray Memorial Pool. Visit: campusrec.unc.edu for all facility hours.

Check-in with New Student & Family Programs staff to pick up any NSFP registration purchases.

Location: West Lounge, F.P.G Student Union, 209 South Rd, Chapel Hill, NC

This annual tradition invites ALL Carolina families together for an event with Chancellor Lee H. Roberts and UNC leadership. Chancellor Roberts will provide remarks and updates on all things UNC! Expect an opportunity for Q&A with University Leadership. Registration for Carolina Family Weekend is required to attend this event.

Location: The Great Hall, F.P.G. Carolina Union, 209 South Rd, Chapel Hill, NC

Join us for coffee and light breakfast refreshments after the Carolina Family Weekend Annual Conversation with the Chancellor, featuring Chancellor Lee H. Roberts. Registration for Carolina Family Weekend is required to attend.

Location: The Great Hall Lobby F.P.G. Carolina Union, 209 South Rd, Chapel Hill, NC

Join us for a flavorful fall menu offering chili, cornbread, sides & desserts all crafted by our own Carolina Dining Services chefs! A ticket gets you in the door at the Top of Lenoir Dining Hall, a chance to sample a variety of stations and a vote on this year’s Top of Lenoir Chef!

Location: Top of Lenoir Dining Hall, Chapel Hill, NC

Carolina families enjoy free access to Campus Recreation Facilities for Carolina student families and members of the Campus Recreation family (student employee alumni).

 Family members can join students to work out for free in one of the Campus Recreation facilities during the entirety of Family Weekend.  (Family members must be accompanied by a current UNC student and will be asked to sign a participation waiver at check-in.)

Facilities include the Student Recreation Center, Rams Head Recreation Center, Fetzer Hall, Woollen Gym, and Bowman Gray Memorial Pool. Visit: campusrec.unc.edu for all facility hours.

Start a new Carolina Family Weekend tradition and bring the whole family to our laid-back brunch featuring biscuit sandwiches, fresh fruit, oj, coffee & tea and enjoy a showcase of homegrown Carolina student musicians!

Location: The Great Hall, West Lounge, Plaza F.P.G. Carolina Union, 209 South Rd, Chapel Hill, NC

Wrap up the weekend with your Tar Heel and take some fun family photos outdoors in the Pit. We’ll have a photobooth set up with Carolina props & feature UNC student a cappella groups!

Location: The Pit, Chapel Hill, NC

Carolina Family Weekend is full of traditions and excitement and is a wonderful time for Carolina family members to reconnect with their student, meet other Carolina families, and connect with faculty and staff. There are wonderful programs and events to explore while enjoying the vibrant Carolina community.

Carolina Family Weekend participants are responsible for their own lodging accommodations for the weekend. For a list of local hotels that we partner with, please visit our website: nsfp.unc.edu/families/local_hotels. You may find hotel accommodations from other properties in nearby towns and cities, for example Durham, NC.

Carolina Family Weekend is for the entire family! Many families will bring siblings of all ages, aunts and uncles, grandparents, cousins…everyone!

Online registration takes place via the UNC Family Experience Portal in late August.

There is a small registration per attendee (UNC students register for free!). All other ticketed events do require purchase for UNC students.

• Early bird registration is $TBD
• Regular registration is $TBD
• On-site registration is $TBD

The 2025 Registration Access Pass includes: 

• A wristband that allows you to access “Free (F)” events (registration fees support these costs) 
• Access to Campus Recreation facilities and classes 
• The Saturday Morning Coffee Break (Continental Breakfast) 
• The Coffee & Conversation with the Chancellor event 
• Access to Carolina on my Mind: A Showcase of Student Affairs professionals speaking on a range of topics
• Clear Stadium Bag Giveaway
• *all events are subject to being at capacity/supply limitation 

The Carolina Family Weekend schedule has a variety of event offerings that take place starting Friday and concluding Sunday. You may pick and choose the events that you are able to attend at your leisure.

Participation in any of ticketed Carolina Family Weekend events requires registration and full payment of fees, regardless of your arrival time. Outside of ticketed events, we will be offering no-cost events.

Carolina Family Weekend event dates are set each year in late February/early March, after considering fall holidays and the fall athletic event calendar.

Students – Stay up-to-date on communications on this website & follow us on social media.

Families – Stay up-to-date by visiting this website and making sure you’re signed up for the UNC Family Experience portal at uncfamilies.campusesp.com.

Registered Student Organizations & University Offices – Each spring, we send a ‘Call for Programming’ & invite you to host a program or event during Carolina Family Weekend. We would love to include you!

Any family member who is a UNC Family Experience user, may complete a registration. Families are expected to communicate with one another about who is purchasing tickets for which family members and for which events. We will have a check-in packet for each registration that is created.

If you do not receive or if you have lost your confirmation email, send an email to [email protected] with the email address you used to register in the UNC Family Experience, your student’s name and PID number and one of our staff members will assist you.

All Carolina Family Weekend fees are NON-refundable. Please review your own calendar and reservation carefully before completing your payment – once you submit your reservation and payment, you acknowledge that you are responsible for the associated cost and are liable for fees even if you do not attend.

Have a family discussion about potential scheduling conflicts before making a registering and buying tickets. Conflicts may include evening classes, mid-term exams, and other events that may bring family to Chapel Hill on a different weekend. You are welcome to give your event tickets to another family.

Please list any special accommodations you may need in the Carolina Family Weekend registration form (for example, sign-language interpreters, wheelchair access, dietary needs, allergies etc.) you and/or your guests may require during Carolina Family Weekend. We will report these appropriately but may not be able to make all accommodations.  

If you need disability parking spaces, please see the map linked here: maps.unc.edu/parking/accessibility-parking (Select “Visitor Disability Parking” to see spaces).

We are unable to provide wheelchair rentals on request, and encourage families to plan ahead and seek out a local medical supply company.

Email us at [email protected] or call our office at (919) 962-8304 if you have any questions! 

Thursday: Check-In will begin at 3:00pm and end at 6:00pm in the FPG Student Union

Friday: Check-In will begin at 10:00am and end at 7:00pm in the FPG Student Union

Saturday: Check-In will begin at 9:00am and end at 12:00pm in the FPG Student Union

All check-in materials will be available for pick-up under your student’s name.

Please note: If you have more than one student included on your reservation, materials will be listed under the name of the primary student – the first student you registered on your reservation.

Yes – if you are unable to attend Carolina Family Weekend Check-In, your student may pick up your materials. Please make sure your student brings their UNC One Card (student ID) and a copy of your confirmation email.

There are many reasons for this change. We have feedback from 2021 and pre-COVID years that a football weekend caused some concerns:

• No accessible parking for events, including football
• Getting around campus was difficult or impossible
• Hotel costs were very expensive and accommodation space was hard to find
• Other events could not compete with football as an attraction, thus low participation by other campus departments
• There was interest in seeing more of campus outside of a football athletic event

Visit our Family Football Day webpage to learn more about a one-day tailgate experience we offer Carolina families.